Awakening
by Coltsbro
Summary: Commander Zoe Shepard has had a rough life full of sorrows and hardships. It has made her cold to the world, and to herself. A galaxy is at risk, and she must battle through lies, secrecy, and betrayals to come out alive. Contains AU elements/OC Characters/non-canon missions. There is a 6 chapter prelude before getting to the main story. FemShep/Liara.
1. Prelude Chapter 1: Adversity is Born

**_A/N_**_: __Well, this is my very first story written here on fanfiction, and my first story that I have written in years. I apologize if my writing isn't up to par, and I am extremely open to feedback. I owe my inspiration to Melaradark, LogicalPremise, OriginalAlcy, and others for giving me platforms to formulate my own ideas and plots, and providing me the motivation to finally put them to paper. I can only hope and dream that this becomes anywhere near as popular as their fanfics, and you should definitely check them out if you haven't._

_This fanfic will be my own telling of the Mass Effect Universe. Zoe Shepard. Along the way, there will be some OC characters thrown in there. In this prelude, I'll be introducing one of the main OC characters. His name will be Aidan Randal. There will be other OC characters in the series, and I'm excited about writing this. I don't know how often I update, but I am really looking forward to getting ideas out of my head and onto paper. I will say, some of the characters in this fic will be messed up (especially Aidan, and to a lesser extent Zoe Shepard). There will be elements of AU/OC/Non-canon missions in this fic. I hope you like the direction I take this in, and I'll begin with the setting up of Aidan's character in a build up to the events of ME1. I feel it's necessary to have the beginning to set up Aidan's character, so hopefully people won't be too angry that they have to wait a bit for the Mass Effect portions of the story. Just stick with it, and I promise you will be rewarded. Hopefully people like this and I'll take it all the way through ME3, but we'll see. Thus, I introduce you to the life of Aidan Randal. Enjoy!_

* * *

March 2nd 1987

New York, NY

Mount Sinai Medical Center

Michael and Patricia drove up to the hospital in their beat up old Chevy. Patricia was in the back howling in pain from the contractions. _Stupid bitch, had to get pregnant didn't she,_ Michael thought. He supposed that he liked 'Tricia, but this wasn't what he had in mind for his life at all.

They had just met 9 months ago, but he didn't see this coming. He had just bought a nice helping of some coke when this hot, skinny looking woman came over and asked him what his name was. They made small talk, but he knew what she was really after. She was a broke whore looking for a fix, and he was a junkie looking for a good time. The arrangement wasn't that hard to agree to. However, in his lusty high and stupidity, he forgot to wrap it up. They fucked like animals all night, and soon started to date each other. 9 months later, here they were driving up to the Emergency Room with Patricia screaming her head off in pain.

A doctor came running out yelling at them. "You can't park here! You're blocking where ambulances may need to come in!" the doctors yelled.

Michael didn't give a fuck what the uppity doctor wanted, and blurted at her. "Get your bitchy ass over here and help my girlfriend, she's got a little shit trying to rip her in half and I don't have time to deal with a bitch telling me where to park!"

Doctor Sherry had seen, heard, and expected all sorts of rudeness being a female doctor in New York, but she thought this was one of the rudest men she had ever met. She called for some assistance to help get Patricia into the building and found her a room to deliver the baby at.

Michael paced back and forth in the small delivery room they were placed in, nervous and irritated. It had been an hour already, filled with screaming and nurses coming in and out. Patricia was enjoying a mix of both excruciating pain and a high off the drugs the docs were giving to her, and the doctor was working diligently between her legs. "How long is it going to take for the little shit to come out? I ain't got all day," he glowered. He was growing increasingly agitated at the time being spent there and wanted to get out of there. He hated the smell.

"She's crowning now, calm down and step back now!" Doctor Shelly was extremely agitated from this bastard treating her like shit and hovering over her shoulder since he got there. A few hard pushes later, a large cry erupted into the room from the newborn baby boy.

* * *

An hour later, they were on the way back with their new mouth to feed and Patricia still high on drugs. "Well, at least we didn't have a little slut to deal with, though a daughter would have come in handy later," Michael pondered. Michael was more talking to himself as Patricia wasn't really all there.

Just earlier, the hospital had asked for a name. He didn't know, nor did he really care what to name the little shit. He lied and said that they needed more time to decide. They didn't have any money to pay for the delivery, not that he'd pay for the kid anyways. They decided to have the bill sent to Patricia's father to piss the fucker off, and to get the doctors off their back about payment and insurance.

He finally pulled up to his destination, a small project building in the streets of New York. It was a dainty and musty building filled with low life drug dealers and addicts. He muttered to himself lowly "Welcome home you little shit." He looked to his right and saw Patricia was still awake, and astounded to hear there wasn't a peep coming from the little guy. He got out of the car, and walked over to help the lady and the baby out and up into their 'home'.

Their little room in the building, if you could really call it a room, was really just a small square that had a very small shower, toilet, a bed, a small table, and a little dresser. The table was cluttered with used up syringes and white dust clouding up the surface. The room had a very raunchy stench to it from a lack of care to clean. Michael didn't seem to care too much for the state of the apartment. He let Patricia fall to the bed and simply regarded the small bundle in his hands. "Well kid, you better not be causin' me any problems, 'specially when I'm tryin' to get it on with her," he said pointing his finger back at the sleeping form on the bed, even though the motion wasn't understood by the other.

He simply sighed out of stress and sadness, wondering again what he had done to get himself in this mess. _Second she's able, me n' her are gunna have a nice looong fuckin'. Hope that little shit didn't ruin her completely_. He regarded the bundle in his arms again, and looked the baby in the eyes. "This fucker ain't goin' nowhere. He ain't got that look in his eyes. Looks pathetic. Couldn't be any son of mine, bitch better not have been sleepin' around on me ya hear you little shit?" He laughed at the thought he was talking to a baby, shrugged, then gathered some dirty clothes and towels together in a pile on the floor. He placed the bundle in his hands down on the pile of clothes, stripped down out of his clothes, and joined Patricia on the bed.

* * *

Michael was awoken to the sound of a crying baby and Patricia screaming her head off at it. The baby was on the dresser, Patricia trying to change the diaper of the baby with a futile effort. He sat amused for a second, entertained at the idea that she couldn't change the diaper of the baby. _Almost feel sorry for the little shit, probably gotta sit around in it's shit and piss for most of the time._

"You gunna sit there and watch, or you gunna get your sorry ass up off that bed and help!" Patricia yelled at him, taking him from his thoughts. He instantly felt his temper start to rise, and rose to his feet.

"Damnit woman, move outta the way." He went to the dresser, grabbing some tape off the ground, took the diaper and jury rigged it to stay on. "See, simple as that, can't believe it took you that long to figure it out," he snorted in amusement, then turned to the table behind him and sat down.

"You didn't even put it on right! We don't have tape fallin' out our asses we can keep using on him," she hollered at him.

She was right, but damn if he could care right now. He just wanted another fix. "Yea, well we'll figure it out eventually." The baby was still crying, and it was seriously getting on his nerves. "Shut that fucker up 'Tricia! Pull out your tit, give it a little milk, then get over here so we can have some fun." He gave her a lustful smile, and she could hardly resist fucking on a high.

She let the child suckle for a minute, then like a toy simply discarded it back to the pile of clothes that had been designated _Little Fucker Area_. She hurried over to the table, eager to let the drugs flow through her system, and for Michael to be inside her as well.

* * *

It wasn't until much later that they had come down from their high and bountiful orgasms. It was obvious to them that they had been going at it for way too long, both extremely sore and exhausted. They hadn't even noticed the crying of the baby again.

"Guess the little greedy fucker is hungry again, better go feed him," Michael said while laying back down on the bed.

Patricia cursed and got up from the bed, and picked up the boy and started feeding him again. "You should let Dave know, he's been real excited about this thing for whatever reason," Patricia said over her shoulder. "I can never figure out why he even bothers with us. We don't need his pity and him looking down on us."

Michael shrugged. "Eh, it's just my big bro's way of making sure I don't end up in the gutter somewhere dead." He gestured to the kid, "He figures havin' that little shit will help me turn my life around." He laughed to himself a bit, then shook his head. "I'll give him a call in the morning, let him know. Half tempted to unload the little fuck on him, but Dave would be disappointed with the fuck up that kid's gunna be. He looks like he won't amount to shit."

Patricia frowned a bit, but had to agree. The little guy was pretty scrawny, looked terrified, and just had a pathetic look on his face. It looked like he was trying to figure something out and was grasping with the futility of it. She shrugged, then looked at Michael. "I can see it, but hell this guy could have some uses. People go ape shit for babies, might get us some free stuff. Might even get some more money from the government."

Michael grinned, and laughed at his companion. "I like the way you think girl. Boy might have some uses after all." He went over some possibilities, and simply gave a wicked smile to himself. He'd find some use for the boy, useless as he thought the little fuck would be.

"Shit Mike, I'm tired. This shit is gunna wear me the fuck out. Any residual from my high is fucking gone now." She was angry, as she was still trying to enjoy the last bit of pleasure from their day of drugs and sex.

"Then put the damned shit down and come over here, have a nice fuck, and fall asleep." Michael opened up his arms and waved for her to come to him. She put the child back on it's pile of clothes that now acted as it's crib, and she to the bed.

As the two grown adults fucked each other on the other side of the room, the small child looked around with a quizzical look on it's face, trying to make sense of this new world that it was thrust into. It felt utterly exhausted from the days events, and the small baby boy's eyes slowly drifted closed, falling asleep. The child had no idea the harshness of the life that awaited him.


	2. Prelude Chapter 2: Longing

**A/N: **_Well, I will admit I'm happy so many people have read this story so far. Again, any input or reviews really help me out. I hope some people won't be mad, but it will take me some time to lead up to the actual events of Mass Effect. I couldn't introduce Aidan as a character without a prelude, letting you know his back story, otherwise he'd pop up suddenly and his character wouldn't make any sense. I hope you enjoy, and hopefully I can keep putting out chapters so I don't keep you guys waiting. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!_

* * *

May 20th, 1990

Bright, blue-green eyes studied the area around him. This was his first time being out of the room for the small child, and he was taking in every ounce of it. He looked at all the colors of the tall bushy things and the colorful things coming out of the ground, the bugs with colored wings as they flew, the other people running around, laughing and screaming. As his gaze went towards the sky, his eyes widened at the white shapes he saw and the relaxing shade of blue. He was trying to look at everything from his mother's arms, his young mind trying to piece together every mystery this place had. He seemed confused as they stopped moving, and heard his mother start to talk.

"Where is your brother at, he was supposed to meet us here. He said be here at two right?" Patricia was looking around for Michael's brother, Dave. He was in town, and wanted to see the child for the first time.

"Calm down 'Tricia, he'll be here. Matter fact, there he is now, by that hotdog stand." Michael waved to his brother, and got a smile in return. Dave jogged over to them, beaming and gave his little brother a big hug.

"Hey Mikey! Long time no see. Thanks for letting me meet you guys." Dave was an imposing guy, standing fairly tall at 6'3", rough face, and had a nice bulk to him. However when it came to Dave, appearances were deceiving. Dave was a gentle giant at heart, just a big teddy bear to those that got to know him. He was a middle manager at a retail store in Jersey, had a beautiful wife Leslie, and two kids Jordan and Sarah. He didn't get to visit his little brother a lot, but he was always excited to check in on him.

"I always got time for my big bro, brought the kid too cause you been pesterin me for god knows why to see the boy." Michael pointed to Patricia holding the child. _Why anyone would want to see that annoying brat of a kid he couldn't understand_. He watched as Dave went over and picked up the child from Patricia's arms, a big grin on his face, and Michael just laughed. _Guy has always been a sucker for kids_.

Dave looked at the child as he hollered over to his little brother, "Hey, what's his name anyway?" Dave couldn't remember whether or not they had even told him the child's name. "Boy's name is Aidan. Couldn't decide on a name so we just picked up a book, flipped a page open, and put a finger down. Never saw the hooplah of naming a kid, just a name."

Truth be told, Michael just didn't give a shit about the kid. Only reason he dealt with the shit was for Patricia. In the hospital they dodged questions and stalled the workers until they could slip out a door, hoping to avoid paying for the visit and such. Hospital tracked them down eventually, so they had to come up with a name and all the other stuff for the kid. He wasn't too upset about it, though, because if that kid was gunna be useful to them later, they'd need that birth certificate.

"Aidan huh? I like that name. What about you little guy?" Dave asked.

Aidan looked back at the big man, unsure of what to do. He had been taught to speak a little bit by his mom, and he listened to them talk and picked up on a couple of things. However, when he spoke he was usually yelled at, and he didn't want to get yelled at.

"Shy huh?" Dave said. "Well, I'm your Uncle Dave, nice to meet you." He held his hand out to the child, only to be returned with a confused look. After a second, the child finally grabbed his hand and spoke, in a very shy and scared tone "Hi, I'm Aidan," the child replied. All Dave could do was smile, and began interacting and playing with his nephew.

* * *

Aidan didn't want to leave the part when it was time, he liked playing with his Uncle. He liked that his Uncle didn't hit him, unlike his Dad. He still never understood why he was hit, but avoided doing things that got him hit. He tried to not talk to his father unless he looked in a particularly good mood, and often went to his mother to get food or water.

They were back in the room now, and not much had changed. The wallpaper was a faded gray, with stains coating the walls from age. The wooden table and dresser looked beaten up and faded, with chips in the wood and stains and scratches in various places. As usual on the table, specks of white dust and needles littered its surface, though Aidan knew to stay away from the table or risk getting hit by his father. The bed housed a dirty and torn up quilt that Michael and Patricia slept in, and the mattress was beaten up and had depressions in it from too many years of use. The shower was a mess of grime and hair, and the curtains had a yellowish tent to them. Strangely enough, the toilet was the cleanest thing in the house, just looking like your average toilet. Finally, in the corner of the room were a couple of pillows and a small blanket with holes in it that acted as Aidan's bed. There was a small plate and a bowl next to the bed, which were used to get Aidan's food and water.

Aidan walked over to his bed, looking for some food and water to replenish himself from playing with Uncle Dave, and frowned when there was nothing there. He looked for his mother, and found her laying on the bed and walked over there and tugged on her shirt. "Mommy can I have food please?" The woman was distracted, and tired, and just waved the boy off . "Go find your father, I'm too tired for this."

Aidan frowned even more, then slowly walked his way over to his father and lifted his plate up to him. "Food please?" His father looked at him with a funny look, took the plate. "Well, you made my brother happy today so I guess you deserve somethin," he said. His dad walked over to the small refrigerator they had gotten last year, took last nights leftovers out of the refrigerator and placed some on the plate. He walked over to Aidan's corner and put the plate down, picking up the bowl and walking over to the toilet. He scooped up some water and then placed it back down next to the plate, then went and laid down on the bed.

Aidan walked over and began happily eating, this was more than he usually got. He ate up the food quickly, drank the water from the bowl, then felt really tired all of the sudden. Moving aside the plate and bowl, he slowly crawled on the his pillows and grabbed the blanket. His thoughts were on the days events, the beautiful sights he had seen and his Uncle. He liked his Uncle very much, and hoped he got to see more of him. He wondered what life was like for all those other kids he saw in the park, where they lived, and if their parents hit them like his did. With all these thoughts, he slowly drifted off to sleep, dreams of what life could be like for others, wondering what he had done to be born into this.

* * *

Michael looked over and saw the annoying boy asleep, and looked over to Patricia. "Well, at least Dave thought the fucker was fun enough to be around, but then again he'd find a way to have fun with any kid. He's got a sore spot for that," he stated.

"Yeah, well we might find some use for 'im in a couple a years. Have some patience Mike." Patricia was also getting annoyed having the child around, becoming increasingly tired from having to take care of him. "At least you beat some sense into him to stop him from buggin us all the time."

"Yeah, well you gotta put them in their place early or they'll walk all over you. Boy needs to learn that you ain't always get what ya want, and you just gotta deal with it. Keep pesterin people for it, and you'll more than likely get hit."

"Thank god for that, I didn't think I could take any more of the neediness of that fucker. Mommy I need this, Mommy I need that. Thank you for taking care of that."

"Anything for you 'Tricia. We got any stuff left? Boy is out and I wanna get a fix goin."

"Yea we got a bit left, gunna have to get some new stuff soon though."

"Already? Damn that kid is putting way too much stress on us. We're goin through this shit like candy."

"'Cept it's a fuckton better than candy," Patricia smiled and gave a little wink.

"Hell you can say that again. Don't ever let the boy get some candy though, I'd rather shoot myself then deal with him bouncin off the walls screamin and jumpin around."

Patricia nodded in agreement. "Anyways, speakin of getting new stuff, how's the job goin for you?"

Michael gave a smirk to his lady. "Boss said he'd get me on for another half shift. Couldn't give me a full shift, but hell I ain't complainin about bein able to be there for a couple more hours. Might be able to afford some better stuff than the shit we got now."

Patricia smiled, and teased him slightly. "Or you could take a certain lady in your life out to a decent meal."

"Yeah, well we'll see about that." Michael teased right back. "Why don't you get your sexy ass over here and remind me why I keep you around" He gave a big smirk to Patricia, and both erupted into laughter at the same time as she strutted over to the bed, stripping down.

"I can be very convincing, you know that." Michael just grinned, and pulled her down to the bed.

* * *

Aidan opened his eyes, and saw he was back in the park. He could smell the fresh air, see the bright sunlight all around him. The vibrant greens of the grass around him, the sounds of birds flying around, the voices of the people in the park going about their business. He looked around and saw a group of kids playing near him and got up off his pillows and started walking towards them. He called out to them, "Hey, can I play with you guys?" No response. He called out again, a little louder this time. "Hello? I said can I play with you?" No response still. He frowned, and started walking towards the group of kids on the ground.

He took a couple of steps, only to run into an invisible wall that was right in front of him, stopping him from going any further. He was starting to get frustrated, and pounded his little hands on the wall, yelling at the kids. "Hello! Help me please! I just want to play with you, why won't you answer me!" They still ignored him, and now he was starting to get teary eyed. He looked around for anyone to acknowledge him, and saw a familiar figure not too far from him.

"Uncle Dave!" he cried out as loud as he could for his Uncle to acknowledge him, and ran towards him. However, just short of him, the invisible wall stopped him again, slamming into it. He started crying this time, wondering why the walls were stopping him. He noticed now, however, that people were starting to pay attention to him. Instead of helping him, thought, they were laughing at him being trapped. He started yelling now, incoherent screams to be let free and let him out, reaching out for his Uncle Dave. For each scream for help and each time he reached for his Uncle, however, the distance between them increased until he couldn't see his Uncle anymore. He went back to his pillows, the laughter increasing in volume, and tried to cover his ears. He was in full tears now, and just wanted it to stop. He curled up in his blanket and laid down, begging for it too stop and for the people to stop laughing.

Aidan jolted up, and felt the warm tears on his cheeks. _I was dreaming, _he thought. He was extremely upset at what he saw and felt in his dream, still sitting there crying softly to avoid waking up his parents and getting hit. He sat there for a long time, wondering what he had done to be treated this way, and just wanted to escape. He sat there clutching to his blanket, curled up in the fetal position just crying for what seemed like an eternity. He finally lost the battle of fatigue, and fell asleep again, this time untroubled by dreams of wanting more, only to have it out of his reach.


	3. Prelude Chapter 3: Firesale

**A/N:** _I just wanted to start off saying thank you to all of you who are reading this story, have followed it, and reviewed it. For my first time writing a story in 8 years, I didn't expect anyone to like it at all, and it means so much that people are reading and actually like what they are reading. For some clarification, the prelude is covering Aidan's beginnings to life. I feel this is necessary To get an idea of who Aidan is and how he gets to the time where ME takes place. I plan on only having a couple of more chapters for the Prelude, then I'm going to go straight into ME. Hopefully you aren't too frustrated with this, and with that enjoy!_

September 27th, 1996

"Hey 'Tricia, where's the rest of the stuff at? I thought we had at least another ounce left?" Michael was agitated. He was just informed earlier by his boss that he was going to have to cut back on his hours, and had been in a shitty mood the rest of the day. Plus the fact that the kid was managing to get more expensive every year was not helping things, and Michael was really starting to truly hate Aidan. The only thing that got him through the day today was coming home to the sweet, sweet embrace of meth. However, when he returned home and went to find some to smoke, he found that it was all gone, and started to panic.

"You took the last of it yesterday, remember? You felt like gettin' really high, and we smoked the last of it and had a grand ol' time." Patricia laughed at the foggy memories from the night before, remembering flashes of sex and the rush of the drugs through her veins. She was, however, frightened at what Michael might do with the news that all of their drugs were gone.

"You mean to tell me we smoked all the rest of our fucking stuff?! Fuck! I really needed that shit today! Fuckin' asshat of a boss cut my hours from me. Couldn't have cut the toddler's hours, nah, haaad to take it from the old fart." Michael pounded his fist down onto the table, and looked at Patricia. "We gotta get some more, I really need a fix right about now."

Patricia sighed and looked down, before speaking. "Mike, we spent the rest of the money on food for the kid. We ain't got nothin' left until pay comes later this week." She winced as she knew exactly was going to happen.

"WE WHAT! ON THAT LITTLE FUCK?! I work all DAY, bust my ass to earn what I do, and then I don't have anything to spend for myself cause that disappointment of a sperm cell needs to EAT?" Michael was fuming, and looked over to Aidan. He was sitting over in his corner, staring blankly at the wall, not even aware of what was going on. "C'mere you dipshit!" Michael grabbed Aidan by the hair and lifted him up from his spot, and started to hit him anywhere he could.

Aidan started crying and screaming, trying to shield himself from the blows that his father was giving him. "Please stop! Please I'm sorry I didn't mean to do it, I'm sorry! I won't do it again I swear!" He pleaded and pleaded with his father, only to be rewarded by more hitting. Finally, Michael stopped, and turned him around and yelled at him.

* * *

"You're damn right you're sorry bitch! We had to use the rest of MY money to feed your sorry ass. I don't know why we even bother, you ain't ever goin' to amount to shit! All you do is sit around bein' useless as fuck while we spend money feedin' ya and all that stupid shit." Michael pondered for a second, then grinned wildly as he came up with an idea to his solution. He looked at Patricia for a second, before he slowly looked back down at a terrified Aidan, giggling to himself. "I got an idea that'll make you _real_ useful to us, _reaaally useful to us_."

* * *

**Brooklyn, NY**

The smell of booze, sex, and the musk of used drugs and sweat were both pleasant and disgusting at the same time. One one hand, those smells meant business was going good, and money was coming in with it. On the other, it just plain stunk sometimes. Frank Hutchinson walked the halls of his mansion, making sure all was well within his realm of business. Make sure the customers aren't damaging the merchandise, getting payments, handling disputes. Business. He gave respect to those he did business with, treated his employees fairly, and stuck to his word. He was a business man, and a damned good one at that. Some might say the key to business is the sales pitch, kissing ass to customers, and advertising the shit out of your product. Those who told you that, didn't know jack shit about doing business.

Frank, or Frankie as he's known by those who do business with him, figured out that the key to business was respect. You treat the customer like a person, respect them, and they feel like they're a part of a special group. Treat your employees with respect, and they won't want to work anywhere else, 'cause they feel appreciated. Keep your word, and soon your business will sell itself without much effort at all. There was also one more key ingredient to his recipe for business, consequences. Givin' respect to people is all nice and dandy, but in order to let people know not to fuck with you, to know what is acceptable and what is not, there has to be consequences. Frankie let everyone know the rules when he went into business with them. Employees and customers both knew what was expected and allowed, and were very clearly explained outcomes of breaking those rules. He'd had to lay down the law on a few occasions, and he did not enjoy it. Since those incidents, however, the message was received and people obeyed and kept on doing business. That part of business he did not enjoy, nor did he have to, but it is necessary to sustainable business.

Frankie was in a particularly good mood today, whistling on his way to his office. As he walked in, he regarded the sight of it. Wide and spacious, it was the biggest room in the mansion by far. At the entrance of the room was a red carpet that lead right to the centerpiece, his large oak desk. He found it tacky, but those who stepped in his office approved of it and felt that it gave the room a certain air of importance. Around the desk were three black leather chairs, two for visitors and one for himself. In the middle of the visitor chairs lay a rug made out of the pelt of a snow leopard. That was Frankie's favorite piece in the room, he'd come by it in a stroke of luck and being in the right place at the right time. On both side walls of the room, large bookcases covered the length of them, filled to the brim with books of all sorts. Science, Math, English, Business, Geography, Sociology, Fiction, Non-Fiction and many other books and many other subjects. You name it, he probably had a book on it. He liked to stay educated, and liked to keep those around him educated as well. Finally, on the opposite wall of the entrance was a fireplace flanked by two giant windows. On the ledge above the fireplace stood a painting of himself, a gift from a very valued customer, and one he very much liked.

As he sat down in his chair he leaned back and kicked his feet up, ready for the day to start. Just as he had done so, he heard a knock on the door. "Come on in, door's open." He put his feet down just as he saw one of his gatherers come in. The idea of their job was simple, go out and gather information on possible business, and bring it back to him to receive payment. He recognized this one as a newbie, one he just put on the job. _Hopefully I don't get shitty ass information from a newbie this time. _"Come on in, have a seat. What's your name again?"

The man sat down in one of the seats, and had a little grin on his face. "Names Justin, and I got some good info for you Mr. Frankie."

"I'm listenin', you better not be fuckin' with me and have some bullshit you think is good."

"No sir, I got somethin' you might find very worth your while." The man pulled out a small crumpled up piece of paper, and put it on the desk. "Some junkie and his whore girlfriend out in New York are getting' _real_ desperate for some stuff, know what I mean? They're kinda broke right now, but the guy seemed to know who we were and offered to make a deal. They got a kid and they're willing to sell."

Frankie put his hands to his mouth, pondering for a second before replying. "I don't usually mess with that sort of thing. How old we talkin' about?"

"Nine years old." He replied very calmly.

Frankie waved his hand at Justin. "I ain't got no use for a nine year old little girl. At least you were usin' your brain thinkin' outside the box, I'll give you that."

Justin leaned forward in his seat and looked at Frankie. "Ain't no little girl, it's a boy."

Frankie raised his eyebrow, looking at Justin for a good long time. He sat forward and looked at Justin with a small smirk, then looked towards the piece of paper in his hands. "That the place?"

Justin placed the paper on the desk, and said, "Yep. Some project out in New York. Dude sounded _very _eager to get rid of the kid. If you meet 'em, you might wanna bring some stuff for them along with some dough."

Frankie smiled. "Thanks for the info, but I'll be takin' care of all _those _arrangements myself." He reached into his desk for a small envelope, and passed it on to Justin. "Keep up the good work." Frankie took a look at the address on the paper, grabbed his keys off the top of the desk, and walked towards the driveway, whistling along the way.

* * *

**New York, NY**

Aidan sat in his corner, staring off into space as he thought about what his father had said. _I got an idea that'll make you _real_ useful to us, _reaaally useful to us. What had his dad meant? Aidan didn't think that he wasn't useful. He did what he was told and did the best he could, and usually got his task done. _Whatever it is, I hope I don't get hit again._ Aidan brushed his fingers over the bruises that were forming from the beating his father had given him earlier, and winced a little bit in pain. He felt bad because according to his father they had spent the last of their money on food for him, and his father probably wanted it for the stuff that is usually on the table that he wasn't allowed to touch. He was startled when he heard a knock on the door, and turned to see who would be coming there.

He saw his father run to the door, pausing a second to run his hands over his shirt for a second, then opened the door. He saw a strange man who was very tall, almost as tall as his uncle. He was white, but he was a bit darker than his father and himself. He was dressed in fancy looking black clothes, topped with a black and red hat that was tipped to the side slightly. He saw his father reach out his hand and shake the other man's hand, offering for him to come in.

The man shook his father's hand, then walked in the room looking around, before looking to Aidan. Aidan was all the sudden feeling very shy and tried to crawl back into his corner even more, trying to go through the walls as the man walked towards him. He bent down to talk to Aidan and said, "You must be Aidan" with a smile. As Aidan nodded, the man reached out his hand and placed it in front of Aidan, and gave another smile. "Well, looks like you and me are going to be getting to know each other pretty well. I'm Frankie, nice to meet you." Aidan grabbed his hand and shook it like he had seen earlier, and was surprised to feel how strongly his hand was gripped, almost to the point of it hurting. "I'm going to go talk to your dad for a bit, alright? I'll come back later." He pulled out a little package from his jacket and handed it to Aidan. He hadn't seen anything like it before, and was confused at what it was.

Just as the man was about to get up, Aidan asked in a low voice "What is it?" Frankie had a mix of emotions on his face, and Aidan prepared to get hit for asking a question. Instead the man bent down again, and pointed to the small package in his hands.

"That, my friend, is chocolate. God's gift to cure depression and satisfy a mean craving. You're going to tell me you've never had chocolate before?" Aidan shook his head, he had no idea what this 'chocolate' was. "Well, then you're in for a treat. Go ahead and open it up, take a bite. Guarantee you'll love this little piece of heaven. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go talk to your daddy for a second. I'll be back." Aidan simply nodded as he worked open the package. It was a brownish color, and had a scent to it that made him oddly hungry. He took a bite out of it, and his eyes went wide. It was the best thing he had ever tasted, and soon ate the whole thing. _I hope he has more, that was really good_. He looked up to see his dad and Frankie walking out of the door. Aidan looked at the door for a second, then returned to staring at the wall in his corner.

* * *

As Frankie left the room with Michael, he was furious inside. It was one thing for a kid to have a tough childhood in circumstances. It was a whole other thing for a kid to be a second thought, to have parents not even _try_ to do things for the kid. If he had to guess, the boy hadn't even been to school at all. His fist was clenched, and he had made up his mind. _I ain't gunna let that kid suffer no more in the hands of these junkies. It ain't right._ He normally didn't mess with kids, especially boys, but this was going to be an exception. This wasn't even about business, that was only a small part. Yes, he could get a lot of business potentially from this boy later on down the road, but for now this was personal. He couldn't stand seeing a child being treated like this, and had to put a stop to it. They reached a bench outside of the building, sitting down. Michael looked at him, and then began to speak.

"So, you got my stuff man?" He was obviously looking for something that resembled drugs on Frankie's person.

"First off, its not _your_ stuff. It's _my_ stuff. Secondly, I got _some_ stuff for you after we make a deal." Frankie was visibly agitated at this point, he hated dealing with junkies.

Michael put his arms up and leaned back a little. "Woah man chill, didn't mean no offense by it."

Frankie grunted at him. "Whatever man, look. What do you want for the kid?"

Michael looked at him, and replied. "I want $2000 cash, 4 ounces of crystal, and 2 ounces of pot."

Frankie simply laughed at this request, then grabbed Michael by the shirt. "No deal. You will take $400 cash and an ounce of crystal right here, right now, or I will make sure you never get high again in this state. I will make sure every dealer, every junkie, every person who has ever done drugs knows that you are off limits. You will never touch a drug as long as you stay in this city. What's it gunna be?"

Frankie looked as Michael sank back into the bench, his eyes wide. He slowly nodded his head at Frankie. "Yeah man, ok. OK! I'll take your deal man, just let me go."

Frankie pulled out a couple hundred dollar bills, and a small baggie, and tossed it at Michael on the bench, then got up and walked back towards the building. "Nice doin' business with ya'."

* * *

Aidan was staring at the door for what seemed like an eternity before the door opened again. He saw Frankie enter the room, and he waved his hand for Aidan to come to him. "Come on son, we're gettin' outta here." Aidan just sat there and blinked at him, confused. Why did the man want him to go with him?

"Where are we going? I don't understand." Aidan looked over to his mother, who was just sitting on the bed looking almost happy at the news that the man wanted Aidan to go with him. Frankie came up to him, and knelt down again.

"Listen son, I know this won't be easy to hear but you won't be livin' with your mom and dad anymore. You're gunna come and live with me." Aidan looked at the man's face, and couldn't understand the face that he was making. Now, Aidain was really confused and didn't know how to act.

"Live with you? Why? What about my mom and dad? Don't they want me?" Aidan saw Frankie flinch a bit at that last question, then he sighed.

"Look Aidan, you seem like you're a smart kid so I'll tell ya the truth. Your parents don't want you around anymore. They don't like having you in their house, don't like payin' for your food, and don't like takin' care of you." Aidan started to tear up, not believing what he was hearing. He looked over at his mom, and she just looked away and left the room.

Aidan looked back at Frankie, and the man continued to speak to him. "I know this is hard to hear, but this is for the best little man. You come live with me you'll be getin' your own room, books to read, schoolin', more of that chocolate you like," Aidan smile at that. "Then later, when you're old enough you'll work for me. After a couple of years of that, you'll be old enough to go out on your own, make somethin' of yourself. You stay here, none of that is gunna happen, and I can't stand seein' that happen to ya."

"But.. why don't my parents want me? What did I do wrong?"

Frankie frowned at this, and put his hands on his shoulders. "Look at me kid. You ain't do nothin' wrong. Your folks are scum, treatin' you the way that they are. Never blame yourself for that." Aidan nodded, then got up from the pillows. "You got anythin' you wanna take with ya?"

When Aidan shook his head, Frankie placed his arm around him, and they walked out of the room. For once, Aidan felt like he had some hope in his life, that things were turning around, and he finally had something to smile for, and smile he did.


	4. Prelude Chapter 4: Of Wolf and Man

**A/N: **_I'm sorry about the long delay on putting up this chapter everyone. It's getting busy with school ending and finals being here. I plan on having two more chapters for the prelude before we get into the main story, so hopefully everyone can hang in there, I know you want the Liara and Shepard action, as do I :) I'll try to have another chapter up next week, and I made this one extra long to make up for it, though hopefully it's not too long. Anyways thanks to all of you who followed this story, it means a lot. I'm really proud of this chapter, and hope you like it as much as I do. Enjoy!_

**Edit:**_ I felt that I kind of rushed things a bit towards the end of the chapter, so I went back and added a bit more things to try and slow it down some and provide more details.  
_

* * *

September 27th, 1996

New York, NY

As they walked out of the building, Aidan looked around and saw that they were heading towards a jet black car with a strange horse logo on the front. Aidan had never been in one, but had always seem them zooming around on the streets whenever he was taken to the park or brought along for this errand or that. He had always imagined what it would be like to be in one, maybe even drive one in the future. Now that he was heading straight for one, he felt a strange sense of excitement and fear at the thought of actually being in it.

"Is that yours" Aidan asked.

Frankie looked down at him, and nodded. "Yep, that's my baby. 1965 Mustang, sexy like a woman and'll put some hair on your chest."

Aidan raised an eyebrow, pulled out his shirt and looked down, then looked back up at Frankie with a puzzled look. "It'll put hair on my chest?"

Frankie stopped moving for a second and erupted in laughter. "It's just a figure of speech son. You won't be gettin no hair on your chest for a good long while."

"Oh ok." Aidan was extremely confused now, and just kept walking. "So where are we going? What's it like there?"

Frankie looked at him. "We're goin' to good ol' Brooklyn. Back to my mansion, you're gunna like it there son. You'll get your own room and a real bed, not some pillows that you lay on."

Aidan smiled, he had always wanted his own bed. The bed his parents slept on looked comfortable, but he was hit anytime he tried to hop onto it. The thought of having a bed all to his own was a weird concept to him, but one that he liked. He looked to Frank, then spoke. "Why are you doing this? I still don't understand."

As they got to the car, Frankie stopped and kneeled down to talk to him. "Plain and simple, son, I saw opportunity. Opportunity for me to get you outta that shit hole, and opportunity for me to have you help out with my business later on down the road. So I get to feel good about myself, and make a business investment for the future at the same time, understand?"

Aidan honestly didn't know what he meant, but nodded his head anyways. "What do you do?" Aidan asked.

Frankie paused for a bit, then smiled. "I entertain people, kid. People pay a _lot_ for entertainment, and I happen to be pretty good at providing them what they want."

"Entertainment. You mean like on TV and the movies everyone talks about?" Aidan had never personally seen any of these, but they sounded like they were something amazing from what he heard other people talk about.

"Yea, somethin' like that I guess. Anyways, hop in and we'll get ya to your new home." He stood up, and opened the door for Aidan to hop in.

Aidan looked at the car, and kind of shrunk back a little. "I've never been in a car before, what's it like" he asked.

Frankie just smiled, looked back at the car and said "One of the best feelings in the world. Nothin' but you, the road, and a sweet piece of machinery to make you go really fast. I'll take it easy on ya since it's your first time and all. It won't hurt, I promise."

Aidan looked at the car one more time, then nodded. He hopped into the car, and off they drove to his new life.

* * *

**Brooklyn, NY**

As they slowed down at the gate to the house in front of them, Aidan looked on in awe. He had seen some pretty big houses whenever he went outside, but he had seen nothing like this. In front of them was a tall wall surrounding the whole place, at least 8 feet tall. Through the gate in front, he could see a long path that lead to the biggest house he had ever seen. It had all these windows, tall and short. The area around the house was so green and vibrant, with all sorts of bushes and flowers decorating the area giving off a peaceful feeling. He looked up at the many rows of windows and wondered what it looked like from up there, looking down from what he considered the top of the world. He looked back at the path and saw a fountain of a strange looking fish, spitting water out of its mouth, and looked quizzically at it.

The gate finally opened, and they pulled up next to the fountain. Aidan got out, and immediately walked up to inspect the weird looking fish in front of him. He walked around the fountain, looking at the tail on the fish, the pointy thing poking out of its back, its long mouth with the water coming out of it. He looked towards Frankie getting out of the car, and and pointed at the fountain. "I've never seen this fish before, what is it?"

Frankie raised an eyebrow at him, and replied. "You ain't never seen a dolphin before?"

Aidan hadn't seen one before, and shook his head no. When he did, Frankie put his arm around his shoulder and said "Well son, this here is a dolphin. They live in the sea, and can do some pretty cool jumps and tricks if you train 'em correctly. They can be pretty smart too, guess that's why people love 'em. Me? I just thought the damn thing looked cool." Frankie laughed as he said that, and Aidan gave a slight chuckle. He did think the fountain was pretty cool, after all.

As he looked away from the fountain, he saw another man walk up to them and he looked very angry. The man walked up to Frankie and yelled at him. "Frankie, what the _hell_ is going on?!"

Frankie put up his hands and simply replied, "Joseph, calm down. We'll talk about it in a minute. For now, I want you to take Aidan here and find him a room. He'll be staying with us from now on."

The man Frankie called Joseph looked at him for a while, then sighed loudly and bent down to face Aidan, putting on a smile. "Hey Aidan, my name is Joseph, but you can call me Mr. Randal. Nice to meet you!" The man put out his hand, and Aidan shook his hand back.

"I'm A-Aidan. Hello Mr. Randal" He replied shyly. New people made him nervous, and he tried not to upset anyone out of fear of getting hit, so he kept things short.

"Well Aidan, why don't we go find you a room in the house then and get to know each other, sound good?" Joseph said.

Aidan nodded his head. "Ok, I don't have to share my room do I?" He asked.

Joseph gave a slight chuckle, and shook his head. "Nope, this room will be all to yourself. We got plenty of room so no need to put people in rooms together. Never was a fan of sharing a room with someone not family anyways." They started to walk towards the house, and Joseph kept on talking. "You ever been to school Aidan?"

Aidan shook his head. "No, but I've always wanted to."

Joseph frowned. "Why weren't you in school?" He asked.

Aidan looked at him, then looked down. "My parents wouldn't let me. I asked, but they hit me and told me that I was too stupid for school and it would be a waste of their time and money."

Joseph stopped, and looked down at Aidan with an angry look. Aidan braced himself to get hit, knowing that he had made the man mad. Instead, Joseph knelt down and put his hands on his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Aidan I want you to look at me. What your parents did to you was wrong, no child should be treated like that. You are not stupid, and educating someone is not a waste of time and money. In fact, I actually was a teacher before I decided to move on from that career."

At first, Aidan was shocked that he wasn't hit, then as he listened to what was being said to him, he began to smile a bit. "Thank you." Aidan thought for a second, then his eyes lit up. "Do you think that you could teach me?" He asked.

The question brought a smile to Joseph's face, and he replied, "We'll see what Frankie wants to do about that, but I suppose I could. Alright, lets get you into your room."

Aidan nodded, and they entered the house. Aidan's eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the sight of the house. The house looked even bigger from the inside than it did from the outside, though he couldn't understand why. The floor was this white, shiny surface so reflective that Aidan could look down and seem himself on the floor. All along the walls were paintings, lights, mirrors, and other things that Aidan didn't even know what they were. There were candles burning, people walking around or sitting in the chairs and couches littered around the area. He saw a giant staircase right in front of him, leading up to other floors with more paintings and other such things. "Pretty cool, huh?" Joseph asked him.

Aidan could only simply nod, and followed Joseph up the stairs to the second level, and went around the corner to the left to an open door. "Well, here we are. This is your room, have a look." Joseph said.

Aidan walked into the room, _his room_, and took in the sight. The room was fairly big, bigger than the room he had been living in with his parents. The walls were almost white, but not quite, Aidan didn't exactly know what to call it. At the far end of the room, next to the window was his bed. It was a tad bit bigger than the one his parents had, and had black and gold covers on them. Against the wall opposite of the bed was a small bookshelf, lined from end to end with books. In the center of the room, there was a small rug, with a table on top of it and two chairs to go along with the table. It wasn't a huge table, but it was large enough to eat, study, read, draw, whatever he could imagine. On the right hand side of the room, there was a door that led to a small closet to store things in. Next to the bookshelf, was a dresser with three large drawers and a mirror on top of it. Aidan loved every single thing in there, and looked up at Joseph and asked, "Is this really all for me?"

Joseph smiled and patted him on the head. "Yessir, this is all for you. Why don't you get settled in for the night, I'm going to go talk to Frankie about your idea." Aidan nodded at him and watched him as he left.

In all of his excitement, Aidan hadn't realized that it had actually gotten dark out, and he felt exhausted. He walked over to his bed and hopped up, not even bothering to take off his clothes. He reflected back on the days events, and couldn't even believe it himself. _I don't have to be hit anymore. I don't have to sit in a corner anymore. I don't have to drink out of a bowl anymore. I have my own room, my own bed!_ Aidan couldn't help the smile on his face. He was so grateful for Frankie and Mr. Randal for taking him here and being so nice to him. Aidan wasn't familiar with people being nice to him, and really liked the warm feeling he got from it. _I might even get to learn and go to school!_ Aidan smiled again, then thought about his uncle and how he wanted to tell him all about his new life. He frowned when he realized he didn't know how to talk to get in touch with him. All he knew was what he looked like, that he was his uncle and his name was Dave, and that he worked at a store. To be honest, he didn't even know his own last name. Aidan sighed, then thought to himself. _I'll find him one day and let him know what nice people they were and that he had a really good life here. He'll be so happy for me!_

The thought brought a smile back to his face, and he looked up at the stars. He stared in amazement at all the lights in the sky, and wondered what was out there. He saw something streak across the sky and let out a sound of amazement. He wished to himself that someday he could go out there and explore the stars, daydreaming about zooming across the sky fighting evil and doing good. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep, and slept comfortably for the first time in his life.

_Aidan woke up to find himself in his bed, but not in his room. He rubbed his eyes to see that he was actually surrounded by trees, lots of trees. He looked around, and realized he could only see trees for as far as his eyes would see. The smell of leaves, bark, and dirt filled his nose as he rose out of the bed and started walking. He winced a little as he stepped on twigs and rocks as he walked, and then looked back towards his bed. He saw a pair of shoes, and put them on. He again started walking, but had no idea where he was going. He felt compelled to walk in a certain direction, towards the sound of running water. He looked up at the sky to see white clouds forming, and he could see the sun shining brightly down at him. He kept walking, the sound of the running water becoming louder and louder, until he arrived at a creek. He sat there at the creek, looking in wonder at the clear water running below him, just blankly staring at it wondering why he was here. Suddenly, he felt a chill and the air turned ice cold, making him shiver. He looked up at the sky, only to see the sun was now nowhere to be found and the clouds had gone grey. White, powdery stuff was falling from the sky, and Aidan recognized it as snow. He looked back down to the creek to see that it had turned into clear, impenetrable ice. He started looking around, becoming scared at the sudden changes when he heard it. A loud howl somewhere in the distance, sending a chill down his spine. He was frantic now, looking around for the source of the sound, wanting to run from it but found that his legs wouldn't move. He finally saw the source of the sound across the creek from him, walking slowly towards him. It looked like a dog, only much more wild and angry, teeth barred and growling at him. He looked straight at the thing and saw its eyes, a pure and fiery red, one promising pain and suffering. Aidan now felt his legs responding as he slowly backed away from it. The animal now started to run at him, and Aidan to turned and ran in the opposite direction, only to be knocked down by a force so hard he thought his chest was going to give out. He looked up to see the animal looking straight down at him, growling even louder. It looked for a second at him, then barred its teeth even larger. Aidan screamed in terror from the thing, and it lashed out down at his throat, tearing away with its teeth._

Aidan shot straight up, sweating and panting, looking around and touching his throat. He settle down when he realized that it wasn't a dream. _It felt so real though_ he thought. He took a few minutes to calm back down, looking up at the stars again. After a while, he began to feel sleepy and laid his head back down, ready to take in the new day tomorrow.

* * *

Joseph left Aidan's room, then headed down the hall to Frankie's office. He opened the door and promptly slammed it behind him as he entered the room. He strode up to the desk and angrily pounded his fist down on the desk, and yelled at Frankie. "Just what in the name of fuck are you doing with a KID?!" He was furious that his boss would bring in a kid to the business, it disgusted him.

"Joseph, I understand you're angry, but please sit and we'll talk this out like men." Frankie said, motioning to the chair in front of the desk.

"I will NOT calm down and I will NOT sit down 'till you explain what the fuck you have a kid here for!" exclaimed Joseph.

"Joseph, _sit... down._" Frankie said in a stern voice, pointing to the chair next to him again.

Joseph stared at Frankie for a moment, the sighed loudly and plopped down in the chair.

"Good, now I have your attention." Frankie said. "Now, to answer your question about why I have a kid here, I have one word to answer that: Opportunity."

"Opportunity?!" Joseph was furious. "What opportunity? This is a KID we are talking about here!"

"Joseph, I know how you feel about this, and you are upset, but trust that I have a plan. For now, he will just be living with us. I have no immediate plans for him, we'll revisit this discussion in the future." Joseph was still very upset, but at least his concerns were eased a slight bit at the news that he had no immediate plans for the kid. "Now, how does our newest guest like his room?"

Joseph leaned back in the chair, and relaxed a bit. "He likes it a lot, naturally. He acts like he's never had a room of his own before."

Frankie gave him a look, one that said that what was just said was true. "He lived in a single, small room in the projects with his mom and dad. They had him sleeping on some pillows with a small blanket in a corner, he ate off a plate with scraps from their meals, and drank from a bowl filled with water from the toilet most of the time. So, this is like heaven for him."

Joseph felt his jaw drop, and then a hatred came to life within him for the people that would do that to a child. "How could they do that? How could they treat a child like that, with so little care and disregard?"

Frankie just shrugged. "They were junkies. Everyone knows junkies are only looking for their next fix, and if anything gets in the way of their next fix they don't treat it too kindly. Anyways, enough about his past. Anything interesting?"

Joseph paused, then looked at Frankie across the desk. "Yea, as it so happens. He asked me to teach him. He wants to learn."

Frankie smiled, and nodded his head. "Go ahead, can't have the boy not knowing anything for his whole life. You can start first thing tomorrow."

Joseph nodded his head, and then spoke. "Alright, thank you. I'm still angry about this, but, well, there isn't much I can do really, is there." He got up to leave, and walked towards the door.

"No, there isn't." Joseph heard him call out to him. "Keep me updated on his progress will ya!"

Joseph raised a hand, then went to go to his own room to turn in for the night. He had a big task ahead of him, and something told him he'd need all his energy to keep himself sane.

* * *

**December 5****th****, 1999**

Joseph was walking out of Aidan's room after just having finished a lesson, and was quite impressed. The kid was smart, and seemed really into learning anything he could. He walked towards Frankie's office door, and knocked. He heard a voice from within telling him to come in, and opened the door. Frankie sat at his desk, feet propped up on it, seat reclining back a to accommodate his position. Joseph sat down in a chair and waited for Frankie to speak.

"Well, how's our boy doin'? Give me an update." Frankie said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.

"Aidan is really bright, I'm telling you. He practically soaks up everything I give him. He has such a hunger for knowledge, but knowing his background it's not too hard to understand." Joseph explained. Over the past three years, Joseph had been doing his best to catch Aidan up to where he should be in academics, and Aidan was exceeding the pace he set. He quickly picked up on basic concepts and knowledge, and was already a tad bit ahead of where he should be at his age.

Frankie let out a smile as he exhaled the smoke from the cigarette. "Good, very good. Listen, I got some news for ya. It's time that we start puttin' him to work. I got a customer comin' in today that paid extra for some time 'em. Go let him know, and get him ready will ya?"

All color drained from Joseph's face for a moment, before going red again with renewed rage. "No! I will not let you do this to that boy! He has so much potential in him, I do not want to see you kill it with your need to make money off of other people!" Joseph yelled at him.

He watched as Frankie got up, put out his cigarette, walked up behind him slowly, and bent over to whisper in his ear in a chilling tone. "Mr. Randal, do I need to remind you of _why_ you are here and _why_ you listen to me? I gave an order, and you damn well better follow it, and that's gunna be the end of it. Understand?"

Joseph balled up his hands into fists, and clenched his jaw for a second, before sinking back into the chair, defeated. "All right, all right. I hope you understand what exactly this is going to do to that kid."

Frankie just laughed. "What it's gunna do to the kid? Fuck I care about what it does to the kid? He's here to make me money, plain and simple. Now, get to steppin' and get 'em ready. You have two hours. If he struggles, drug him. Whatever it takes."

Joseph slowly rose up, leaving the office and walking towards Aidan's room again, cursing to himself that he was powerless to stop what was about to happen to this poor boy. _I promise, I'm going to find a way to stop this and get him out of here. He's got too much potential._ He walked into Aidan's room, and sighed as he called him over. "Hey Aidan, come over here. I gotta tell you something."

He saw Aidan look up at him, and he walked over to the door. "Hey Mr. Randal, what's up? Are we having another lesson? I thought we just finished one."

Joseph shook his head. "No, son, not a lesson. Frankie said it's time for you to go to work." He saw the look on Aidan's face, and it just killed him even more for what he was about to say. "A customer is coming in a couple of hours to spend some... time with you. You will have to do whatever they want, no matter how much you don't want to."

"I don't understand. What do you mean, do whatever they want?" Aidan asked.

Joseph bowed his head putting his hand over it, then looked back up at Aidan. "Listen to me Aidan. This place isn't what you think. Frankie isn't what you think. This place is an entertainment house. In the basement, there are rooms where customers take our employees and are... entertained. Sex. Before you came, we only had girls who were at least 16 and had either run away from home or moved out. However, when Frankie got a call about you, he decided that he could expand his business and use you to bring in more customers."

Aidan looked confused and hurt. "Sex? Like they'll make me have sex with girls? I don't want to do that!"

Joseph winced again at Aidan not understanding what he was saying. "No Aidan. You won't be having sex with girls. Look, I'm sorry this is happening to you, I truly am. I can't stop it however. If I don't do as Frankie says, he will have my wife and child killed, and I can't have that happening. I swear to you, though, that I will find a way to get you out of this." Joseph looked back as he saw some people coming in to grab Aidan and take him downstairs.

He saw Aidan look frightened, trying to back away from the people coming at them, then saw Aidan look at him, crying. "Please don't make me go. Please Mr. Randal don't make me go!"

All Joseph could do was clench his fists and say "I'm sorry Aidan." He watched as he struggled against the people taking him, and watched as they pulled out a syringe and put it in his neck, and Aidan went limp. Joseph looked away as he was taken away, and felt a tear come down his cheek. "I'm sorry." He muttered again, and went to go back to his room. He picked up the phone, dialed a number he knew very well, and waited for an answer. When the other side picked up, he simply stated. "Hey, you know that favor you owe me? I'm calling it in. It may not take place soon, but I'll be calling it in when the time is right. I'll call again when it's time." He hung up the phone, and went to his bed to try and forget the sound of Aidan crying, begging for help.

* * *

**August 31****st****, 2001**

Joseph was sitting on his bed, relaxing after having finished another lesson with Aidan. He hated what was being done, hated that he felt powerless to do anything about it. Thankfully, Aidan didn't seem to blame him for what was going on, and seemed to escape into studies and education. It became a common occurrence for Aidan to be dragged out to go to the basement, getting drugged up on this drug or that to make him more cooperative. Currently, he didn't have anything to do, as Frankie had just left to attend to some business. As he lay there in his thoughts, he was interrupted by the phone lying next to his bed. He picked it up and answered, "Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Randall speaking?" The voice asked through the phone.

"Yes sir, it is. Who is this?" He replied.

"Mr. Randall, this is Officer Bryant with the NYPD. I regret to inform you that this morning your ex-wife Carrie and your daughter Hailey were involved in a traffic collision. They were rushed to the nearest hospital, but were determined to be dead on arrival." The voice said.

Joseph's world stopped, and for what seemed like an eternity he just sat there with his mouth gaping open. He couldn't believe what he was just told, and immediately teared up. "I know this is a difficult time, but we have your ex-wife's mother here taking care of arrangements. She said she would contact you with the details for viewings and funeral processions, if that is alright with you." The officer sounded sincere, and Joseph gave a simple "Yeah" in response to him. The officer offered his condolences again, and wished him the best of luck.

Joseph laid back down on his bed, crying. His daughter was gone from this world, as was his ex-wife whom he still cared for. _If only I had time to make things right, _he thought to himself. In his grief, however, an idea popped into his head. His eyes widened large, and he frantically picked up the phone frantically dialing a number he hadn't dialed in two years. The phone rang, and a familiar voice picked up the phone. "What can I do for you, Joseph?" The man over the phone said.

Joseph replied in a hushed tone, "I'm calling in that favor now. Just as we discussed. It happens today."

The man on the other line grunted in reply, and then said "Alright. I'll be there in one week like we discussed. There's already enough supplies so you won't need to take much. See you then. Good luck."

Joseph hung up the phone, grabbed a paper from a drawer in his desk, and ran to Aidan's room. He found Aidan sitting on his bed, looking out the window. He approached him and put his hand on his shoulder, and whispered to him. "Aidan, we need to go. Now. Come with me."

Aidan gave him a weird look, then asked him "Go where? Why are you grabbing me? Where are we going?"

Joseph was getting impatient. He needed to do this before Frankie got back, or there was no chance in hell of him pulling this off. "I've been coming up with a plan to get you out of here for two years now, but I couldn't do it because of threats against my family. I am here to educate our employees and make sure they can hold conversation with any clients. I thought they were just using the girls to talk and provide company, until I walked in on one of them having sex. As you can imagine, I was very upset. When I confronted Frankie about it and threatened to leave, well... he didn't take that very well. He told me exactly where my ex-wife and child lived, their daily routine, everything. He said if I were to do anything to risk his operation, that they would get a little visit that would end very badly for them. So I complied, not wishing them any harm because of decisions I made." He explained, and then looked down with tears in his eyes. "I just found out not five minutes ago that they are dead now, so nothing is holding me here now and nothing is stopping me from taking you away from here."

Aidan frowned when he said that his family was dead, but there was time to talk about that later. Joseph could tell that he was angry about finding out his situation with his family being threatened as well, and glad that Aidan now understood what type of man Frankie was. He grabbed Aidan and started walking towards the stairs. "Don't I need to get anything? What about clothes or food?" Aidan asked.

Joseph shook his head. "That has all been taken care of, now come on! We don't have much time to talk. We have to get out of here before Frankie gets back." They walked down the stairs, and out of the main door to the driveway. Joseph stopped him, and then knelt down to talk to him. "Listen, you just follow my lead and let me do the talking. Once we get out of that gate, we are home free." They walked over towards Joseph's car and hopped in. He took his keys out of his pocket, and put them in the ignition and turned. The car roared to life, and they drove towards the main gate. Once there, one of the guards came up and stopped them. Joseph rolled down the window, and the guard asked "Where are you going today Mr. Randal?"

Joseph stayed cool, not even showing the slightest bit of panic. "I figured I'd take Aidan to a museum today, try a change of setting for today's lesson. Boy loves his history, I'm telling you. World War II, the Roman Empire, all of that. He just eats it up so I thought a museum would be a good choice."

The guard looked at him a moment, then nodded opening the gate. "Sound's boring if you ask me," he said. "Just remember have him back before dark. Don't want boss doing anything.. _drastic_ now do we?" The guard gave him a smirk, and Joseph scowled at him. If he didn't have to get Aidan out of here, he might have tried to pick a fight with him. For now, though, he had to think about getting out of here.

Joseph shook his head no, then proceeded out of the gate and onto the road. They were free of the place for good, and were never coming back. He looked over towards Aidan, who had a cautious smile on his face as well. "Well that went well." he said with a laugh. "Just gotta make one stop, and then we're on our way."

"What are you doing, and where are we going exactly?" Aidan asked.

Joseph looked over for a second, then continued driving. "First," he said. "We are going to drop off this letter in my pocket at the post office, which is a complete written confession about all that is going on in that mansion and should get Frankie sent to jail and his operation shut down. Then, we're off to Alaska to hide out for a while, but we'll stop in Canada to wait for a friend of mine who is helping us out."

Aidan had a determined, hopeful look on his face when he asked, "Is Frankie really going to go to jail?"

Joseph sighed. "To be honest, I don't know. I do know that it will certainly shut his operation down for a good long time, and hopefully the police can arrest him later. He'll be done for now though." They pulled up to the post office, and Joseph stopped the car right outside of a mailbox, pulled down the latch, and slid the letter into the box. He looked over at Aidan, and pointed to the glove box as he drove off. "Open that up, in there is a dagger I want you to have. It was given to my by my father."

He saw Aidan open up the glove box and pull out a good length dagger. It had a slight curve to it, and had serrated edges on it for maximum damage to whoever was unfortunate enough to get hit by it. "Wow, this is pretty cool! Thank you Mr. Randal!"

Joseph smiled. "Just keep it on you at all times, and remember it is not a toy. Do not pull it out unless you feel your life is in danger" he said. "Now, lets get on the road. Got a long journey ahead of us."

* * *

**September 4****th****, 2001**

**Somewhere in the mountains of Canada**

Aidan was sleeping soundly in his seat when he felt a slight nudge. It had been a long journey and he could tell they were close, because he could see snow on the ground and they were in the mountains.

"We're almost there," said Joseph. "You can barely make out the cabin if you look close enough." Joseph pointed in a direction, and Aidan's eyes followed. He did indeed see the cabin, and smiled. It wasn't big, but to Aidan it would do just fine. In his eyes, that cabin was freedom, true freedom, from his horrible life.

"Thank you for this Mr. Randal. I'm so glad to be out of that house, I couldn't stand being there anymore." Aidan said.

"I'm just sorry I couldn't get you out of there sooner, Aidan." He admitted. They were rounding a corner, and Aidan kept listening. "It killed me to see you go through that, knowing that I couldn't do any-" Joseph was suddenly cut off as a huge gust of wind hit them as they rounded the corner and sent them into a slide. "OH SHIT!" Aidan heard Joseph scream, as they went towards the edge of the road, and then plummeted off and began to slide.

The car tumbled over and over, crashing violently each time, sending glass flying all over the place. Aidan felt an arm across his chest pushing him back, and looked over to see Mr. Randal holding him down in the seat. They took one final tumble and landed hard as the car came to a stop, and everything went black for Aidan.

It wasn't until sometime later that Aidan regained consciousness. He was looking around, dazed and confused as to why everything looked upside down, then realized that the car was actually laying on its roof. He struggled to release his seat belt, and then winced as he fell down to the floor. He looked on his body, amazed to see no major injuries, just a few cuts and bruises that hurt when he moved. He looked to his left for Mr. Randal, only to find out that he was not as fortunate as himself. He had blood coming out of several locations, arms bent at weird angles, and was laying limp in the seat.

Aidan crawled over to him, and tried to wake him up. "Mr. Randal wake up, we crashed!" No response. Aidan shook him again, and begged, "Mr. Randal please wake up! Please!" No response. Aidan gave up, now realizing that he was dead. He crawled out of the car, adding a couple of new cuts on the broken glass, then looked at the scene. There was car parts littered all over the place, around the car and above them from where they had fallen down. They were too far up the mountain for him to climb down to get some help, and even then he didn't trust strangers that much. For a minute or two, still dazed from the car crash and in the beginning stages of shock, Aidan just stood there not knowing what to do. He felt something wet on his face, and realized that he was crying because of Mr. Randal. He wiped his face off with his gloves, then walked back from the car a bit.

He looked back up the mountain and he could still see the cabin slightly. _I need to get to that cabin, I don't stand a chance out here._ Aidan knew that someone was supposed to be coming in a couple of days to help them out, and that he just needed to wait there for him. He knew that there would be some supplies waiting for them there, and that he could live off of those until the stranger came and picked him up. He was extremely weak from the adrenaline withdrawal and still disoriented from tumbling in the car. He sat down for a couple of minutes while he centered himself, and when he felt ready to move he stood up again.

Aidan looked around the wreckage once more, and then checked to make sure his knife was still secure against his side, which it was. Relieved, he pulled up the hood to his jacket, and started walking his way up to the cabin. The walk was slow, painful, and dizzying. His head was throbbing and his hands were shaking a little, but he knew he had to press on. Just as he got halfway, he heard it. A bone chilling howl in the wind, the same howl from a dream he had long ago.

He started to quicken his pace, wanting to get to the safety of the cabin as soon as possible. His heart started pounding in his chest, which made him only want to go faster. Just as he looked up to the cabin again, he froze. Right in front of him was the source of the howl. A lone wolf stood in front of him, a gray coat of fur standing out, almost looking majestic. It's teeth were barred, and its eyes were looking straight at him. Now, in that moment any rational being would have been terrified at the possibility of facing a wolf alone, when they were hurt and his age. However, in that moment Aidan felt something completely different. He felt _alive_.

He listened to the sound of birds chirping in the air, the soft and low growl of the wolf standing in front of him. He felt the cold breeze splash across his face, smelled the pine of the trees around him, the crunch of the snow beneath his feet. No, in that moment Aidan felt no fear, only a sense of truly being alive. He remembered his knife by his side, and slowly drew it out of its sheath. He bent his knees slowly, taking up a fighting stance and readying his knife, not truly knowing what he was doing. He looked long and hard at the animal in front of him, and all fell silent. The wind stopped blowing, the birds stopped chirping, all was silent. It was just him, and the wolf in this world, and only one was going to remain in it. After what seemed like an eternity, the silence was broken as the wolf barked loudly and charged at him. Aidan stood his ground, waiting for the wolf to get closer.

As the wolf leaped at him, Aidan took a step to the right, throwing up his left arm at the animal to guard his neck from being bitten and felt a singe of pain.. In the same motion, he brought the knife down and connected with the shoulder of the wolf. He heard a yelp and the wolf backed off a bit to reassess the situation. They both circled each other, staring into each others faces. Their look was one of pure instinct, the will to survive. Adrenaline was pumping through Aidan's veins and all he could see was the wolf in front of him. He decided to make the next move, and lunged the knife at the wolf, but the wolf countered and tried an attack of his own. Aidan narrowly missed being bitten as the attack was off balance from the wolf dodging his own attack.

He felt something warm and wet trailing down his arm and hand, but ignored it, not daring to take his eyes off of his enemy. The wolf this time sank low to the ground, almost laying on his belly, and slowly walked around. Aidan coiled up himself, and started walking slowly again in their circle pattern ready to react at any sudden movement. The wolf jumped again and he narrowly dodged the attack again, he was getting slower. He could already feel himself weakening, he was feeling off balance and his legs were shaking. He had to act quick, or become a victim to the wolf. Suddenly he had an idea, and let the wolf come to him. The wolf charged and leaped at him again. This time, however, Aidan lifted his knee and managed to hit the wolf right under the jaw lifting his head upwards, all the while bringing the knife down to its head, resulting in a satisfying _thud_ when it connected. The animal immediately went limp, and Aidan collapsed with it from exhaustion.

Aidan removed the knife from the wolf's head, and laid back, exhausted from running on pure adrenaline. He had won, he had killed the wolf, earned his place on this world and earned his freedom. Aidan laughed in excitement, then looked down at his left arm to find the source of pain. He saw the outline of teeth from where the wolf had bitten his arm. The wounds didn't look like they were torn or ragged, but looked like they would scar. Aidan looked once again at the cabin, and realized that he was much closer than he realized.

Aidan put away his knife as he got up, and looked down at the wolf. He stared long and hard at the animal, then back to his arm, then back to the wolf. He bent down and grabbed a hold of it, and started dragging it towards the cabin. He stopped once he got to the entrance, and bent down. He took out his knife and cut out five teeth from the wolf, and then went inside. Once there, he looked about the place and various drawers and cabinets and found what he was looking for: nails, a hammer, and string. He hammered a hole into each of the five teeth, then put the string through the hole to make a necklace out of them. He put it around his neck, and then looked at his arm.

Aidan thought back to the brief first aid lesson that Mr. Randal had given him on their trip to the cabin. He looked around for and found a bottle of rubbing alcohol and poured some over the wounds. He winced as the sting came in, then found some gauze from a first aid kit in the cabin and wrapped up his arm. After he finished, he went and sat on one of the cots in the corner of the cabin and reflected. _I did it Mr. Randal. I made it to the cabin. I'm no longer a prisoner, or someone's entertainment. I'm my own person now, I've earned my freedom._ Aidan thought. He smiled at the idea of him earning his freedom, and it felt amazing. He loved the feeling, and he would fight anything any anyone to keep his earned freedom.

Exhaustion finally caught up with him, and he kicked off his boots. He went over to the fireplace and saw there was already wood in place. On a small shelf above the fire place he saw some matches, and took one out. He lit it, and threw it into the wood, watching it catch fire as he felt the warmth coming from it. Satisfied, he took off his coat and got under the blankets already on the cot, and fell into the most satisfying and undisturbed sleep he had ever had.


	5. Prelude Chapter 5: The Marines

**A/N: **_Warning, very sexy parts exist in this chapter! Includes kissing and nudity, and as Engineer Donnelly would like: some moaning._

_Now that that is over with, only one more chapter until we get to the Mass Effect goodness. I had received feedback from someone, and decided that I was going to condense some of the things I was going to put in here and reveal more details later. Thank you to all who keep reading this, and I am really excited for all the details and ideas I have for this series, just stick around with me! As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy!_

**September 6****th****, 2001**

**Somewhere in the Mountains of Canada**

Aidan sat on the cot eating a protein bar, relaxing after another stressful day. It had been two days now since he had fought the wolf, and had taken shelter in the cabin. He knew that someone was supposed to meet him here, but no idea when that would be. He had been surviving off whatever provisions were in the cabin, but it wasn't spectacular. Protein bars, bottled water, saltine crackers, non-perishable foods, and whatever meat from the wolf he could store in the small freezer. As he lay on the cot, he began to reflect on his situation. _Someone has to come for me_, he thought. That is what he had been telling himself since he had gotten to the cabin, someone has to come. He knew that he wouldn't survive alone in this small cabin forever, and the thought of him dying alone in the middle of nowhere scared him. _If nobody comes by the end of tomorrow, I need to start thinking of how to get out of here_.

He had already looked around the area a bit, and knew that he could follow the road and probably find someone to pick him up. That idea didn't sound very appealing to him, as he didn't trust people at all. The only reason he was going to trust this man that was going to meet him was because he was a friend of Mr. Randal. However, as each day passed, it started to look grimmer that the man was going to come for him. _What if he crashed like we did_ _,_ he thought. He looked around the small cabin, and found what he was looking for tucked away in a small corner. A hiking backpack was tucked away in a small corner, and was exactly what he needed. He grabbed the pack, and began sifting through the supplies in the cabinets.

After he had packed what seemed like enough for a couple of days in the pack, Aidan once again returned to the cot and laid down. He grabbed his necklace and looked at it. It was a simple and crude necklace, and the string would definitely need to be replaced, but he liked the look of it. It was a symbol of pride for him, finally overcoming a challenge all on his own and it made him feel worth something.

He thought about how he felt after the crash, and during the fight with the wolf. That feel of true life, knowing that at any second it could be taken away. That thrill, that fear, it had excited him. He figured that if he were to get out of this alive, he would join the military and try to find a family there, as he really had none besides his uncle. Even then, he didn't know his last name or where to find him, so that wasn't really an option for him. _My uncle has enough problems in his life without having to worry about me, _he thought.

As he was sitting in his thoughts, Aidan missed the sound of a car pulling up to the cabin. He was just about to fall asleep when he was startled by a knock on the door. Excited, Aidan jumped up and ran to the door, opening it for the stranger.

As the door opened, he looked up at the man standing in front of him. He was a fairly tall man, and from the looks of it strong as well. He held himself with a type of composure and proudness about him that Aidan felt himself admiring. He was an older man, but had a jaw of steel and green eyes that had a determined look in them that made Aidan believe the man could do anything that he set out to do. The man had on a military uniform, though Aidan didn't know which one it was. Regardless, Aidan was extremely happy to see the man and was beaming up at him.

"You must be Aidan," the man said, to which Aidan nodded. "I'm Sergeant Major Hugh Jackson, U.S. Marines." He held out his hand, and Aidan accepted it. "I noticed the crash down the way, and saw Joseph's body. Such a shame, what happened son?"

Aidan cringed a little remembering the sight of Mr. Randal in the car, lifeless. "We were on our way up here, when a really strong wind hit us during a turn causing us to spin and crash" he said. The man nodded at him, then walked in as Aidan closed the door.

"I noticed the cut up wolf out there, you do that?" The man looked down at Aidan's arm, and already knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from the boy.

"Yea," he explained. "After I got out of the car, I knew I had to get here or I was going to die. Unfortunately, I ran into that wolf on the way up. I only had this to defend myself with," he pointed at his knife on the table "and I got bitten in the process" he said lifting up his arm.

Mr. Jackson held his arm and took a look at the wound and bandages, then raised an eyebrow. "You really took out that wolf with no experience, only using a knife and you only came out with this?" The man sounded amazed.

"Yea, I guess" Aidan said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Who taught you how to do all that?" Jackson said.

"I wasn't really taught. The knife was given to me by Mr. Randal, and he taught me how to use it a little and told me some things I should do if I am hurt. But actually fighting the wolf, I don't remember much. I just reacted and then the next thing I knew the wolf was dead." Aidan explained.

Mr. Jackson looked at him intently, then smiled. "How old are you son?" he asked.

"I'm 14 sir." Aidan replied.

This made Mr. Jackson really laugh. "Haha! I like you son! You might make a mighty fine marine one day. You ever given it any thought?"

This made Aidan perk up a little bit. "Well before, not really. But after today, I was actually thinking about doing it." Aidan was beyond excited. Here he was, thinking about going into the military, and then here came this proud and strong man telling him that he'd be a marine!

Aidan's enthusiasm made the older man smile, and he plopped down on the cot next to Aidan's. "Good! If ya want, I run a little specialty school that trains people before they go off to boot for the marines, just the basics really," he said. "Was gunna hide you out there at Joseph's request, but seein' now that you actually wanna join the marines, I don't see why we can't let you in." This made Aidan smile, and the man leaned in closer to whisper. "You got some potential kid, if you're up for it. I can feel it, you're gunna be somethin' special. If you're willing to put in the work, I got some friends who could help train you in more advanced ways, not like the other kids. But you gotta put in the work, son."

Every word he was saying was like sweet bliss to his ears, nodding yes to everything that was being said. "I'll do whatever it takes, sir. I want to be the best!" he exclaimed.

Mr. Jackson slapped him on the shoulders, and gave a laugh. "Excellent! Well, get what you need from here, and lets be on our way!"

Aidan grabbed his pack from the counter where he had left it, grabbed some extra things he thought he might want or need, and then headed out the door with Mr. Jackson. As they hopped in the green jeep parked outside of the cabin, Aidan looked over and asked, "Do you really think I can be a marine?"

Mr. Jackson just smiled at him, and said, "Son, I think you can be the best there ever was."

Aidan beamed right back, "The best" he echoed.

* * *

**July 14****th****, 2005**

**Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, SC**

"You're ready for this son." Sergeant Major Jackson looked at Aidan, now 18 years old, and couldn't be prouder. Four years he had spent training him to be the best, fostering the potential he saw in the young man. The kid was a natural, he had to admit. He seemed to just soak up everything that he threw at him, and was able to perfect it much sooner than he should have.

He thought back to teaching him how to shoot, and how Aidan had quickly become a deadly marksman. After that, CQC training had come, and once again Aidan had proved to be a very good student. From there it moved to martial arts, survival training, fighting while outnumbered, limited first aid, and hell even using a sword. As he told Aidan when he first brought up the idea, _Sometimes a gun won't do the trick, son. Sometimes you need to get up close and personal, and a blade is the right tool for that. Besides, sometimes skill with a blade could come in handy in a 'whose dick is bigger' contest. _Hell, the boy was eating up the classroom studies portion too. Kid was smart, not the smartest, but smart.

He laughed at the memory, then looked at all the new recruits running about. He hadn't told Aidan yet, but he had transferred here to be the drill sergeant and to train all the new recruits, namely Aidan's recruit class. He did this because he wanted to keep pushing him. He knew what buttons to push, how to get the best out of him. No, he wasn't going to let some two-bit drill sarge waste the potential of that soldier. And so here he stood, and he was going to make sure that every recruit there was pushed to the limit, and Aidan beyond that.

Thinking of the past four years brought up another fond memory, when he was enlisting Aidan. Jackson knew that Aidan didn't know his real last name, nor did they want to spend the effort to find that out. He had pulled a few strings to get Aidan's paperwork in order to get him enlisted, and he had given the kid the choice of his own last name. "It's gunna stick with you 'till the day you die son, might as well make it something you like." He was surprised, however, that he took the last name Randal. Joseph was a long time friend of his, and it made him happy that Aidan wanted to thank Joseph for getting him out of here and giving him a chance by taking his last name.

He smiled again at the thought, then saw Aidan walking over to give what he thought were his goodbyes to the man. "They're calling the recruits in now, we're going to meet our drill sergeant" Aidan said.

"Well you don't want to keep a drill sergeant waiting, now do ya son?" He said with a straight face.

"I just wanted to thank you," Aidan said. "I wanted to thank you for everything and I promise you that I will be the best and remember everything that you have taught me."

Jackson smiled. "You damn will be the best son, and I'm here to make sure of it!"

Aidan looked confused, and asked him "What do you mean, you're here to make sure of it?"

Jackson smiled and barked at him, "I'm your new drill sergeant recruit! And from now on you will address me as sir or Sergeant Major Jackson, is that clear!"

Aidan's jaw dropped, then snapped to attention and saluted. "Sir, yes sir!"

Jackson returned the salute, then said "Right then, fall in line with the other recruits. Move!" He smiled as Aidan ran off with the other recruits, not missing his slight smile as he knew that he was still going to be pushed as hard as he could. He straightened out his uniform, and said to himself as he started walking around the base, "Welp, time to go teach these kids which way to point the gun." He got up, and began familiarizing himself with the base.

* * *

Aidan couldn't believe that Mr. Jackson was going to be his drill sergeant. He felt sorry for the recruits here because he knew how hard they were going to be pushed, and smiled as he knew he was going to be pushed even harder. He entered the mess hall to find it almost to capacity. He looked around, and seeing no chairs available, went for a spot in a corner where it was slightly darker. _Always take in your surroundings, see without being seen_, he was taught. As he took up his spot leaning against a wall, he missed that he actually had company.

"You're crowding up my spot" he heard a woman's voice say.

Aidan looked over, and his jaw dropped. The woman in front of him was completely and utterly gorgeous. She stood a modest 5'8", had silky black hair, bright teal eyes that he thought was the most beautiful color ever. Her features were definitely appreciable, just the amount of curves in all the right places. Her skin was almost caramel, and looked so soft and smooth. His eyes came back into focus and realized the woman was giving him a wicked stare, and suddenly he felt like a foolish kid. "Ahem, sorry just forgot that female recruits would be here too. If I'm bothering you, I'll find somewhere else."

He stood up and started to leave, when the woman grabbed his arm. "You're fine, I was just messin' with you" she said. Her voice was soothing, but had a power to it, and Aidan found it very attractive. "Besides, you were nice enough to apologize, which beats ninety nine percent of the other men here would do."

Aidan shrugged his shoulders. "I guess," he said. "You like being on the outside too?"

The woman nodded. "Never felt like I really fit in. Besides, being on the outside lets you assess everything, while revealing nothing."

_Smart, and beautiful too. Kill me now, I'm in heaven._ "That's what I was taught as well" Aidan said. Their attention was drawn towards the front of the mess as the drill sergeant stepped in. Every recruit, including himself, snapped to attention as they saw him enter.

"At ease recruits" Jackson had said as he walked through the mess. "My name is Sergeant Major Hugh Jackson, and I will be your drill sergeant and instructor for your stay at Parris Island." He looked around the mess of recruits, spotting Aidan and the woman with him in the corner and smiled. "Today I will be breaking you all up into squads, each with a squad leader. You will learn to function within this squad, and make your squad the best squad that there is."

"Sir, yes sir!" the recruits yelled in return.

As Jackson began reading off the names and assignments, Aidan looked over to the woman next to him and asked, "Where do you think you'll end up?"

The woman shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. I'll do my best wherever they put me. Shoot me now if they put me with you, though." She gave a wink and slight nudge to Aidan.

He smiled and shoved her back, then returned his attention to the names being called out, for the third squad now.

"Third Squad," Jackson said. "Squad leader: West, Alexandria."

The woman next to him shifted a little, her eyes going wide a little bit. "That you?" he asked. The woman nodded in reply, and he seemed impressed. "I guess you're pretty good then, getting put as squad leader" he commented. The woman only shrugged, giving another smile with a wink. He shook his head, and returned to listening.

"Final spot in third squad," Jackson read. "Private Randal, Aidan."

If Aidan had been drinking something, he would have spit it out as he let out a "What?!"

The woman next to him giggled, and said "That you? Guess I'm stuck with you." She gave out a teasing smile. "At least I get to boss you around though" she continued to tease.

Aidan was extremely surprised. He had expected to be made a squad leader himself, not expecting to be the last person put into a squad. Not that he was complaining, there was something about this woman that intrigued him, aroused him. He decided he was going to talk with Mr. Jackson about it after the assignments were finished.

"Well, Alexandria, it appears that you indeed get to boss me around. What is your first command as squad leader?" he asked.

"My first order is for you to call me Alex, and second _Aidan_ is for you to drop and give me twenty." She said in a serious face.

"What for?" he asked.

"For checking out your superior, and that's another twenty for questioning my authority!" She was clearly teasing him at this point, and gave a sly smile towards him. To her surprise, he actually dropped down and did forty push-ups. "Smart, obedient, and good looking," Alex said. "I think I'm beginning to crush on you Mr. Randal."

Aidan felt himself get a bit embarrassed, and colored a bit. "Yeah, well, if you'll excuse me from your crushing for a second your highness I need to speak with the Sergeant Major" he said.

Alex mocked disapproval and offense as she stepped out of the way and gave him a slight nudge as he passed.

Aidan worked his way through the crowd of men and women, and found the Mr. Jackson. He saluted him, and then said, "Hello sir, I was wondering if I could speak with you."

Jackson returned the salute, then gave him a slight smile. "I saw you having a nice time with Miss West over there. You two seemed to be getting along quite well." Jackson immediately laughed and wore a huge smile on his face as Aidan immediately began to blush, something he had never seen to boy do before.

"Yeah, she's alright." Aidan said as he tried to play it off. "I wanted to ask you about the squad assignments, sir. Why was I not assigned as a squad leader?"

Jackson sighed, then said, "I figured you would ask about this. There was no mistake, you were put where you were for a reason. Miss West is very capable, and you could learn much from her from what I'm told." He saw the look of disappointment on the young man's face, then gripped his shoulder. "What I also wanted to do was teach you another lesson. Earn what you want, accept nothing."

Aidan looked confused, not understanding the lesson. "What do you mean, earn what I want and accept nothing?"

Jackson smiled. "It means, go out and work for what you want. Do not let someone give you something you did not earn. Go out and earn it for yourself, prove you are worth to everyone around you that you deserve it. Giving you the role of squad leader accomplishes nothing for you, you learn so much more from_ earning_ _it_. Do you understand now?"

Aidan, finally seeing what the lesson was, nodded. "I get it, sir."

"Good!" Jackson exclaimed. "Now, go turn in for the day recruit, you got a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

Aidan nodded, then left the mess and returned to his bunk. As he lay there, he reflected on what Mr. Jackson had said to him. _Earn what you want, accept nothing_. He was determined to be the best, and was going to accept nothing on his was to get there. He was going to earn it. It was with this thought that he fell asleep, and the thought about a certain woman he had just met.

* * *

"Come on Alex, stop trying to hit me, and hit me!" Aidan taunted at Alex. It had been a little over a year since they had met on that first day of boot camp. The two had quickly formed a very strong friendship, though those that were around them knew that it was destined for more than that, thought the two would never let you in on what they thought about it. It was true, they both did feel something more for each other, but for whatever reasons things kept happening to keep them apart. She would get leave before he would, he would get pulled for different assignments or for this reason or that reason. They had even come close to kissing more than once, only to be interrupted every instance.

So here they were now, both Sergeants, stationed in Japan. Of course, Sergeant Major Jackson had followed them both to Japan, as he had taken a special interest in the two, seeing that they had serious potential. They were both driven individuals, striving to be the best and had a way of bringing the best out in each other. It had worked, as they both soared through boot camp, and quickly risen to the rank of Sergeant.

Since they had been stationed in Japan, they were determined to make sure that they stayed in tip top shape, so they would spar with each other. It was there that they found themselves now, in a small old house just on the edge of the base. They saw that it was an old, unused martial arts building and requested that they be allowed to spar there, and they were granted that request. So, three times a week they would come out to the house and train together. They had proven to be quite the equals, though Aidan was a bit more smoother in his fighting style than Alex was. This would often frustrate her, as she could not connect her blows sometimes.

Listening to Aidan's taunt now made her frustrated. "You know, it's not nice of you to taunt the pretty girl about not being able to hit the big, strong man. Someone's feelings could get hurt" she teased as she threw a couple of strikes at him, landing on a couple.

Aidan chuckled. "Awww, did I hurt your feelings? I'm sorry, here let me make it up to you" he taunted right back as he sent a roundhouse kick her way, which was quickly blocked.

"Don't taunt what you can't beat, Aidan" she said as she smiled, quickly jabbing him in the gut. She enjoyed this little game they played while sparring, enjoyed his company. _Something seems weird about him today_, she thought to herself, noticing that Aidan seemed a tad bit distracted.

"We both know I can beat you just as easily as you can beat me, so lets not even go there" he mentioned. "Now, are you just gunna keep sendin' me love taps, or are you actually going to hit me?"

Alex gave him that sly grin that was so endearing to him, then threw a kick to his ribs as fast and hard as she could. She saw Aidan shift his weight, and knew he had her. In an instant, she was off her feet and pinned down to the ground. "Damnit!" she yelled.

Aidan laughed. "You're so cute when you're mad after losing" he said.

"Yea, but it makes it so much sweeter when I put you on your ass" She shot right back, sticking her tongue out at him, then giggling.

Aidan looked down at her, still having her pinned, and thought that she was the most beautiful thing in the world. The slight gleam of sweat on her skin, the way she had her hair tied up, the way her chest moved up and down trying to calm down from their bout, everything he thought was absolutely beautiful.

Alex saw the way he was looking at her, and she felt a deep desire within her for him. Suddenly and without even thinking, she freed her arms and wrapped them around his neck pulling him down, and pressed her lips up against his. There was a static in the air and everything seemed to just stop in that one moment, and then she tried to pull back aware of what she had just done. "I'm sorry, ... I shouldn't.. I..."

Aidan was so shocked at what just happened that he almost didn't notice her trying to draw away from it. "No," he said. "I want this, more than anything." He had spent the last year having this almost happen, only to be ruined by bad timing by others. Now that it was happening, he was not going to let it go.

Alex looked into his eyes one more time, before pulling him back down and kissing him deeply. The air left the room again, as they finally were able to express what they truly felt for each other. As they kissed, soft moans were let out from both of them, and Alex found her body wanting more, and her mind agreeing. "Aidan.. I-I want..." she said, trying to explain that she wanted him in her when Aidan nodded, kissing her again. Clothing began to be scattered everywhere, and soon the two lay naked against one another on the floor.

They began exploring each others bodies, him with her nipples and her with his erection. Aidan slowly worked his way down her body, his fingers tracing a path down to between her legs that sent shivers throughout her body. He teased around the outside of her warmth, before slowly sliding two fingers inside of her. Immediately she let out a loud moan of pleasure, her entire body moving towards the source of her pleasure. He began to slide in and out of her with his fingers, smiling as she moaned in pleasure. He then lowered his head, and started to use his tongue as well as his fingers, which sent an eruption of pleasure through her body. She was screaming now, not caring at the pleasure she was feeling. She could feel a huge pressure being built up, and continued to build as Aidan's tongue continued to pleasure her. Finally, it was too much and she screamed out in absolute pleasure as the pressure was relieved in full force, making her whole body shake in bliss.

Aidan slowly began to withdraw his fingers from her, smiling as he admired the beauty in what he had just seen, when she suddenly reached out for him and brought his head down to whisper in his ear. "I want you inside me."

Aidan immediately began to get nervous, his thoughts going back to the times at Frankie's house. He quickly cast those aside, he cared about Alex and wanted to please her, to be with her. He nodded, then slowly spread her legs as he took position over her. He slowly slid into her warmth, and they both let out a gasp as they both felt immense pleasure when he was fully inside of her. He started slowly at first, gently rocking back and forth inside her to ease her into it. Alex was letting out small moans of pleasure, and Aidan couldn't help but grunt a little as he felt her. They started to increase the pace gradually, with Alex now pushing against him with her body to force him deeper in her. Soon, she felt that pressure again, and began to call out his name.

Hearing her call out his name, Aidan quickened the pace, starting to feel a pressure build up within him too. They were perfectly in synch with each other, rocking back and forth, and then he felt it as she couldn't take it anymore and her whole body convulsed in pleasure. He kept up the pace, and quickly felt himself about to finish. Right before it happened, he pulled out of her and let it fall to the floor, then collapsed next to Alex.

When Alex was able to move again, she cuddled up against Aidan's body and looked into his eyes. "That was... amazing" she said as she tried to catch her breath.

Aidan gave an agreeing laugh, and replied, "Yes, yes you are."

Alex smiled, then gave him a quick kiss. She then felt extremely unsure of herself, and wanted to say something to him. She had felt it for a long time, but never had the courage to tell him. _Screw it, just tell him already_ she told herself. "Aidan... I-I love you" she said, her heart fluttering as she said the words.

Aidan's heart skipped a beat as he heard what she had just said. In that moment, he felt a happiness he had never felt before, and had the biggest smile on his face because he knew he felt the same way. "I love you too, Alex."

She let out a cry of joy, and buried her head against Aidan's chest. In those moments that they had made love to each other and lay there, they had seen who each other truly were, showed sides of themselves that nobody else had seen, and it brought them close together. They lay there against each other for another half hour, both enjoying the company of each other. As they got up to leave, she felt a little sad she couldn't stay like that with him for longer. "I wish we didn't have to get back to duty" she admitted.

"Me too. We'll definitely have to, uh, _spar_ more often" he said with a huge grin on his face.

She smiled, and blushed a little bit. "Yes, we will" she replied. "Not a word of this to anyone else, though."

Aidan gave her a mischievous grin, and said "What? I have to tell everyone about it. They'll think of me as some hero and the I'll be the man of the base, everyone shall be jealous of me!" he teased and threw her a wink. She punched him in the arm, and he faked an injury, then drew her close for a kiss. "I won't tell anyone, Alex."

She looked in his eyes, "You promise?" she asked.

"Promise."

* * *

It had been two years since that day they shared together in that house, and they had shared many more, their relationship growing stronger over the years. It was their relationship and their strive to better each other that lead them to rise the ranks extremely fast, both being promoted to Second Lieutenants. Many were impressed with them, seeing that they had extreme potential as soldiers. Only soldiers for three years, they behaved as soldiers of 15 years. Because of their rapid ascent and very apparent potential, they had also been assigned to a new Spec Ops program that involved soldiers working in pairs, and to neither of their surprise they were the most successful and accomplished pair. They had gone on several missions together, all going off without a hitch.

They were almost an extension of each other. Close equals in all that they did, though Aidan still had more potential to achieve than Alex did. They were both deadly snipers, and lethal in close quarters with their Japanese Katanas, which they had received two each from Sergeant Major Jackson as a gift. They could infiltrate a base and never be seen, or they could cause a whole lot of destruction should the situation arise.

Their success had earned them the nicknames Apollo and Athena, named after Greek Gods. They both found it silly to be compared to gods, but got used to it nevertheless. They even joked that their enemies would fear them, just because they would be known as Apollo and Athena. They had just finished a mission in Africa, quietly silencing a rebel leader that threatened the government that was trying to establish itself in the region. They had received word that the President wanted to personally thank them for their mission, thought it would have to be in private since it was technically a Black Op. It would look bad for the U.S to go into another country and assassinate a rebel, showing favoritism towards a government.

As they drove through the dirt road towards the base to await pickup, Aidan looked over to Alex in the passenger seat and unconsciously rubbed one of the pockets in his uniform. Inside was a ring, and he had been meaning to ask her to marry him for a long time. During the mission, he had decided that after they finished he was going to ask her, no ifs ands or buts about it. She had caught him looking at her, and gave him a soft smile. She had a way of making him feel like his heart was melting inside, bringing out the best in him. He smiled back at her, and then looked on in horror as he saw a vehicle on a straight collision course with them. "

Fuck! Hang on Alex!" he screamed as he jerked the wheel, trying to avoid the collision he knew was imminent. He heard Alex's scream as their jeep was slammed into by the other vehicle, and sent spinning, and then flipped over and started rolling down the road. He thrust out an arm across Alex's chest trying to keep her safe, hearing her scream out for him. "It's OK Alex, we'll be OK hang on!" He wasn't sure if he believed his own words. The car tumbled one more time and slammed into a large boulder, and came to a rest, causing Aidan's head to be whipped around and he hit it on the steering wheel.

Aidan cursed in pain as he looked around, hazy and weak from the crash as he got out. He called out for Alex, but couldn't see her and had a ringing in his ears. Crawling on his hands and knees too weak to walk, he moved around the crash site looking for a sign of her. He managed to make his way to the passenger side of the car to see that Alex had already gotten out and was crawling herself. He started to make his way over to her, when he saw a man appear out of nowhere and crack her over the head with his rifle, and immediately fell went limp.

An anger came out from within Aidan, a murderous anger towards someone that would hurt his love. He yelled out and tried to stand up, only to feel his legs fail him. He began to crawl again, with the man coming over to him now. He could see more approaching to take Alex away, and two others were following the one approaching Aidan. He was beginning to lose consciousness now, and looked up as the man reached him. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was the man bending down to look him in the eyes, and said "Welcome to the program, kid."


	6. Prelude Chapter 6: Ghost

**Ghost Program**

**Subject File: 1**

**Classification: TOP SECRET: X-RAY CLEARANCE**

**Subject Name**: Randal, Aidan NOTE: Last name is taken, real last name is unknown to subject.

**Social Security Number: **123-45-6789

**Date of Birth: **2nd March, 1987

**Age as of 1****st**** August, 2008: **22

**Height: **6'1"

**Weight: **195lbs.

**Sex: **M

**Hair Color: **Dirty Blonde

**Eye Color: **Blue-Green

**Blood type: **AB+

**Allergies: **None

**Military Service Record To Date (August 1****st****, 2008):**

-Enlisted into service July 14th, 2005 at Parris Island.

Graduated with highest marks in school history. Shows proficiency in all firearms with a preference to long range rifles, close quarters combat, infiltration and sabotage, bladedweapons, and scouting.

Received a spot promotion to Private First Class during a wash out training exercise where he refused to finish it what would have been record time to go back and carry a man struggling across the end point.

-Transferred to Okinawa and promoted to Corporal after completion of boot camp at the request of Sergeant Major Hugh Jackson

Participated in the North Korean Rebellion in 2006

Earned a Purple Heart and Medal of Honor holding down a small town against superior enemy forces for 3 days with only fellow Corporal Alexandra West for the final day after their unit was wiped out.

-Promoted to Sergeant and transferred to Spec Ops along with Alexandria West to participate in an experimental program pairing two soldiers together to accomplish missions.

Promoted to Second Lieutenant after successfully assassinating a young upstart terrorist leader that had many connections, never leaving a trace of his presence.

Infiltrated a terrorist base in Iran to recover vital intel that led to the thwarting of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

Assassinated rebel leader Allan Rishtok in Africa, ensuring successful implementation of democracy in the area.

**Family:**

**Father: **Michael. Last name unknown. Deceased from drug overdose.

**Mother: **Patricia. Last name unknown. Deceased from drug overdose.

**Grandparents: **Deceased on both sides.

**Aunts/Uncles: **According to subject has an uncle named David. Last name unknown. Resides somewhere in New York City. Currently being tracked down.

**Cousins: **Two cousins according to subject. Jordan and Sarah, both are David's kids. Last name unknown. Reside in Upper New York. Currently being tracked down.

**Known Friends/Associates:** Second Lieutenant Alexandria West, special interest, romantic involvement. Sergeant Major Hugh Jackson, special interest, father figure. Sergeant Jacob Hansen, no special interest. Sergeant Ryan Grant, no special interest. Lance Corporal Heath Springman, no special interest. Corporal Julie Xu, no special interest. Corporal Andrea Swan, no special interest.

**Subject Physical Condition: **Excellent

**Subject Candidacy: **Excellent

**Subject Status: **Accepted

**Phase: **Phase 1 in Progress

**Subject is given green light for Ghost Program. Begin immediately.**

* * *

Aidan opened his eyes slowly, starting to wake up. He was confused as to where he was at, and looked around. The sky was dark and the stars were out, he saw sand and the ocean, and immediately knew he was back on the beaches of Okinawa, but why he couldn't figure out. He walked around trying to find out what was going on, not remembering how he got up there. This section of the beach was deserted, save for two individuals cuddling up against each other on a blanket. As he got closer, Aidan knew exactly what this was. _I'm dreaming_, he realized. It was one of his fondest memories, and the other individual was Alex. She was wearing military cargo pants and a black tank top, but he remembered thinking she was the most beautiful thing in the world at that moment in time. As he got closer, he could see himself with her, and could hear the conversation.

"What do you see, when you look out there Alex?" He had asked her.

"Me? I see the beauty of the stars, the wonders of the universe and what secrets they could hold. I'd love to go to space one day," she replied.

Aidan gave her a grin, and then looked at the night reflecting off of her eyes, and almost lost himself in her gaze. He could stare at those eyes for days and never get tired of it. "I see adventure, potential. Imagine all the other species that could be out there, just waiting for us to find them. Imagine the wonders that you could see!" he said.

Alex gave a laugh, and teased at him, "Are you sure that you don't just want to fuck some pretty green alien girls like in the movies?"

Aidan gave her a look and a jab on the arm. "What? No! Hell no!" he defended.

His response made Alex giggle, she had him in her trap. "What? A little xenophobic aren't we? You wouldn't date a nice alien girl?"

Now Aidan was confused on what to say, knowing that he was going to lose in any situation. "I am not xenophobic Alex! I guess it would depend on the alien girl if I was gunna sleep with her."

Alex gave a pouty face, and said, "So you _would_ leave me for some alien girl! I knew it, you whore!"

Aidan knew he was in the shitter now, and there was no way of winning this. "I hate it when you do this, there's no winning." He rubbed the back of his neck laughing, then continued. "I wouldn't fuck some pretty green alien girl because I am with you, and plan on staying with you for a very long time. If we weren't together, it would depend on the alien girl if I did or not."

Alex, feeling bad for teasing him so much gave a little "Awww", and then kissed him. "You're too kind to me, what makes you think I want to keep you around?" she asked with a wink.

"Because I can keep up with you in the ring _and_ the bed," Aidan replied in a confident tone.

Alex gave him another kiss, then snuggled up against him again. "So you can" she said with a smile.

There was something about that moment, laying there with her under the stars on the beach that stirred an emotion in him that he wasn't familiar with. He knew what it was, it just felt strange to him and he never imagined ever feeling it for someone. His heart sped up a little as he lifted her chin up with a finger to look her in the eyes, and he said, "I love you Alex." It was the first time he had ever said that to anyone, and it felt so good, so right to say it to her.

Alex's eyes went wide, and she gave a little squeal as she reached up to give him a deep and passionate kiss. She had been waiting on him to say those words for a long time, and wondered if he ever was. To finally hear him say it was like bliss to her ears, and when the kiss finally ended she replied back "I love you too, Aidan."

Aidan sat there smiling at the memory, feeling the same emotions that he had felt when it was actually happening. It was probably the best moment of his life, and one in which he finally realized that he could have a future and be happy. As he was standing there, he could faintly hear a voice in the distance calling for him, though it was unfamiliar to him. He started looking around for the voice, and then felt a wave of cold water wash over him as he was jolted back to reality, pain consuming his body.

* * *

Aidan woke to find that he could see nothing, and thought he was blind. He moved his head around frantically, and as he began to come fully awake he realized that he had a black bag over his head. He was confused a second, trying to remember what happened when the crash came back to his memory. They were driving back to base when they were hit, he was crawling around to find... "Alex!" he yelled out as he remembered her being taken. He was panicking now, trying to get free only to find himself tied down to a chair, completely unable to move. He kept trying to struggle until he felt a fist come crashing down to his jaw, shooting pain through him and jerking his head to the side.

"Stop struggling!" he heard a voice yell at him. He could hear the person shift away from him and call to someone, "Fucker's awake now, lets get started."

Aidan was confused now, wondering what the hell was going on. "Get started? What the fuck is going on! Who is in charge here?" he demanded. He heard movement, then the black hood was removed and he could finally see. He looked around and saw he was in a warehouse of some sorts, dimly lit and for the most part empty. There was a shed in the corner where a couple of men were stationed, both holding high caliber rifles, keeping watch over the door. He looked down to see that he was, in fact, tied to a chair that was bolted to the floor. He looked in front of him to see another chair directly opposite his, though not bolted down. To his left stood a man in all black, wearing a mask so he couldn't see his face, and a pistol was at his hip. Aidan was getting angry now, wanting to know exactly what the hell was going on. "Would someone please tell me what the _fuck_ is going on here?!" he yelled at the man next to him. The man said nothing, only turning his focus to the shed in the corner of the building.

Aidan looked over that way to see the two men that were guarding the shed now bringing over a hooded figure to him. He couldn't make it out at first, but as they brought the figure closer he could see that it was one of the soldiers from the Spec Ops program. _Fuck, they somehow got a list of soldiers in the program, and are now exacting revenge. But why not have me in there with them_, he thought. "If you're trying to get me to talk, it won't happen. I've got nothing to say to you." he said. The man next to him gave no response as he grabbed hold of the person and shoved them into the chair and removed their mask. He instantly recognized the person as they spoke to him, it was Andrea Swan. She was a medic and had become a good friend of Aidan's.

"Aidan?" she called out to him, surprised to see him there and obviously scared. "What is going on? Why are we here?" she was crying, and a nervous wreck.

He was about to answer her back that he didn't know, but that everything would be ok when he saw the man to his left move. He took out the pistol holstered on his hip, flipped the safety, put the gun to her head, and pulled the trigger. The bang made Aidan flinch, and looked on in horror as blood spattered everywhere, and Aidan couldn't believe what just happened. "What the _FUCK!_ Wha... Why the fuck did you do that!" He yelled, trying to get out of his restraints, but to no avail. Two other men behind him that he did not see came and took her body, and dumped it in a dumpster off to his left.

The man next to him motioned for the men by the shed to come over, and again they crossed the room with another person from his unit. The figure was once again sat down in front of him, the hood being removed. This time, it was Julie Xu, an intelligence officer who he had also been close friends with.

This time, Aidan was extremely nervous, not wanting to see another friend killed. He looked over to the man and again asked, "What do you want? Why the fuck are we here?" Again, he was ignored. He lifted the pistol to the woman's head, and pulled the trigger. Aidan gave out a roar of anger as another friend was killed, and he was powerless to stop it. "What the fuck are you doing! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?" he screamed at anyone who was in the room, ropes cutting into his arms and legs as he struggled to get free.

The shed guards were motioned for once again, bringing out yet another member of the program out to him. Once the hood was removed, he saw Heath Springman who was in charge of distributing gear to the soldiers, and a person who always got Aidan the best gear. Heath had obviously been beaten, his jaw broken and swollen shut and he could see that he hadn't gone down fighting against the men who captured him. Once again, the pistol was put to Heath's head, and the man fired, killing him. Aidan was now starting to feel tears build up in his eyes at losing so many friends right before his eyes. He let out an angry yell, and started cursing at everyone in the room, promising revenge.

As he expected, he was ignored. He looked around for something, anything to help him escape and kill the fuckers who were murdering his friends. Seeing nothing, he began to furiously pull against his restraints and get free, cutting himself even more with the ropes. He looked back up to see yet another one of the Spec Ops unit placed before him, Ryan Grant. He and Grant had hit it off since the orientation of the unit, teaching him some CQC and becoming a regular sparring partner. _Grant was a tough son of a bitch, how the hell did these guys get him? What the fuck is going on here,_ he thought to himself. He didn't even have time to say anything to him as the pistol blasted again, and Grant went limp.

Aidan was giving an angry growl to the man, looking at him with a look of pure hatred for the man murdering his friends, good people. _Who the fuck do you work for, so I can kill them when I get out of here_. "Who the fuck do you work for? I want to know who to kill after I get through with all of you." he said in a low, cold voice. No reply, only another person. This time it was Jacob Hensen, Grant's partner. He had introduced Aidan to all sorts of music, bought him his first MP3 player and put god knows how many songs on it. A pull of the trigger later, and he was gone from the world. Aidan was covered in blood now, finally breaking down and starting to cry. "Who the fuck... What do you want?" he blurted out between sobs. Silence.

Once he refocused, he saw three figures in front of him now, though these were civilians. _So it's not just our unit_, he guessed. There were three men, though the third was a much larger man then the other two. He was trying to figure out who they were and why they were here, when the man with the pistol removed the hood of the first figure. As he looked at the face, he knew exactly who it was and his bones chilled. It was his cousin Sarah, and in that moment he knew that the other two were his other cousin Jordan and his uncle Dave. "No please, not my family! What the fuck do you want from me!" he cried out in vain, as another shot rang out, spraying out blood against the other two as they also flinched at the sound of the shot. _This isn't about the unit, this is personal. They're trying to send me a message or something. Who the fuck did I piss off this much,_ he found himself asking.

He tried to look away as Jordan's hood was taken off, not able to control the tears at this point. This was his only family, and they wanted him to watch them die. He felt hands take hold of his head from behind him, and force his face towards his cousin as the man pulled the trigger again, more blood spattering on the final figure, hearing sobs from him at this point. Aidan yelled for them to stop, begged them to tell him what they wanted and why they were doing this, but again it was a futile effort as he was given no response.

The hood came off of his uncle, and he saw the look on his face. "Aidan? You're alive? What is going on-" he started to say, until the sound of the pistol firing cut him off. Aidan yelled out again, the hands removed from his head, lost in sorrow. His whole family was gone, the only good family that he had known and they were gone. He cried out again, a mixture of cries and angry yells that fell on deaf ears of the men in the warehouse.

He looked up again, to see another figure had been placed in front of him. He immediately recognized the figure, and again began to scream and yell at the men. "Please, not him. He has nothing to do with me, not him please!" he said as they removed the hood to reveal Mr. Jackson. The man had obviously taken a beating, and looked to be barely conscious. This was the man that had given Aidan the chance to be someone, believed in him and pushed him to make him the man he was now. He owed everythign to this man, and now here he sat across from him about to be killed.

Jackson lifted his head to speak, and said, "Aidan... don't... give them... the satisfaction... of you begging... you're better... than them. Don't let them... break you." Aidan, not knowing what else to do, nodded and braced himself for the inevitable. The gun was raised, and again shot out, ending Mr. Jackson's life. Aidan couldn't help himself as he broken down into even heavier tears, feeling the loss of someone who had taken the role of a father for him. He hated himself for not being able to save him, not being strong enough. He remembered what was told to him, though, and felt himself go numb. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of being broken, if that is what they wanted to do.

The man with the gun smiled at him, then finally spoke to him. "Wise words, too bad they couldn't help him out." he laughed. Aidan felt an anger building up in him at the sound of the man's voice taunting Mr. Jackson. "Alright, last one, you ready?" he said as he motioned to the shed.

Aidan's eyes drifted over to the shed, and widened in horror as he immediately recognized who was being brought out. "No! No, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!" He yelled. He knew that figure anywhere, it was Alex. "Please, anything but her! Not her, please! Kill me instead! Kill me! Anything, just don't hurt her!" He pleaded. He didn't care that they had finally gotten to him, that he was begging. The thought of her dying for him tore through his soul and left a cold deadness inside him. The man only laughed as they sat her down and removed the hood, revealing her face full of bruises and tears. An angry panic began to consume Aidan, wanting to do anything to save her. "LET HER GO YOU MOTHERFUCKERS. I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL HUNT YOU THE FUCK DOWN IF YOU HARM HER. I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU!" he yelled out. The men around him only laughed as he continued to scream and plead for her life, making threats, anything to try and stop what was going to happen.

Alex looked at her love screaming and pleading, tearing away at his arms to get through the rope, and it broke her heart. She knew what was about to happen, and accepted it. She wasn't afraid, but she needed to be there for Aidan, to make sure he made it through this. She knew it was probably useless as they would likely kill him after her, but she felt like she had to do something. She looked at him with all her love and said, "Aidan, look at me." She waited until he stopped yelling and looked at her, then continued. "I love you more than anything in the world, I want you to know this. I will always cherish the time I spent with you, you made me so happy. I want you to promise me, thought, that you'll go on after all of this is done, that you won't let it destroy who you are. I'll be looking down on you, looking after you, but you have to promise me that you won't give up, that you'll make these fuckers pay and then go out and live your life."

Aidan gave a look of pure defeat, one of complete and overwhelming grief. Words were failing him, and he could only manage to reply "I love you too... I promise you I will make them pay." She nodded at his words, then prepared herself for what was about to happen. The man walked over to her, and Aidan's heart began to pump harder. He pulled his pistol out, and Aidan began to scream again, begging them to stop. He put the gun to her head, and everything stopped. He looked into her eyes, and she mouthed _I love you_, before the trigger was pulled. Aidan sat there for a second, looking at his love, now lifeless, that spark in her eyes gone. It registered that she was gone, and he let out a yell of anguish, pain, sorrow, hatred that would make the strongest of men cry and send chills down their spine. He felt something die deep down inside him, as the best thing to ever happen to him now lay dead with her blood coating the floor. Aidan's eyes followed the men as they picked up her body and took it over to the dumpster and threw her in among the other dead.

The man walked away and put away his pistol, then pulled out a cell phone dialing a number. It rang for a second before someone picked up, and he simply said "Phase One complete" then hung up. A few short moments passed, then Aidan felt nothing as one of the men came and struck him in the back of the head, momentarily relieving him of his grief as he slumped into the chair unconscious.

* * *

Aidan woke up, and didn't recognize where he was. There was light from a lone torch above him, and he could see rock above it. All around him outside of the ring of light from the fire, he saw darkness and knew he was in a cave of some sorts. He looked around and spotted a pack next to him, a plate of food, and a cup of water. He disregarded the items, sitting there trying to remember how he got there. He sat for a second, then remembered the warehouse. Remembered the man, his friends, his family, his lover all killed right in front of him. The memory caused him to tear up in pain, and cry, even though there were no tears. He sobbed for what seemed like hours, until he was exhausted and could sob no more. He remembered the items by the torch, and walked over to them. Even though he didn't feel like eating, he forced himself to eat and drink, then opened the pack. Inside, there wasn't much. He pulled out a knife, and realized that it was his knife. He put it down beside him and went back in the pack, a lighter along with 20 more torches, a small first aid kit, and a bottle of whiskey. He had no idea why he was here, and frankly he didn't care. He was empty and dead inside, and had nothing to live for. He just wanted to curl up and die, right there, and be done with it. Exhaustion started to take its toll on him, so he put the items back in the pack and laid his head down on it, closing his eyes and quickly falling asleep.

He awoke quickly woke up, drenched in sweat and breathing hard. He had seen everyone he had watched die sit there and stare at him, chanting that he had failed them, and that he didn't help them. He tried to explain that there wasn't anything that he could do, but they wouldn't listen. They would just keep telling him that he failed, and that he let them die and didn't care, which hurt most of all. Then, he saw Alex and she was reminding him of his promise to her, that he wouldn't give up. It was then that he shot awake, and noticed that the torch had flamed out. He took out another torch and the lighter out from the pack and lit it up. He replaced the extinguished torch with the new one, and then looked down to see that his cup had been refilled, but not his plate of food. _Who the fuck? I'm not alone here_. That idea disturbed him, and he got his knife out of his pack. He took a sip of his water, and sat down under the torch. _I'm going to survive, Alex. I won't let you down_.

Almost at that instant, he heard a sound all too familiar to him. That sound had changed his life, made him into a man and set him down this path. He heard the howl of a wolf. _No, not _a _wolf_ he thought, _wolves_. Aidan took out the bottle of whiskey and took a couple of gulps, feeling it bring a fire to him. He grabbed his knife and took a look at it, and smiled. He wasn't just going to sit here while wolves hunted him down. No, if he was going to die here it would be on his own terms. He looked out into the darkness, the howls stiff far off, and walked into it. _They want to play, let's play_.

* * *

Aidan lay back, his wounds bandaged with the med kit in the pack, and laughed. He had spent the past day playing a deadly game of hide and seek with the wolves, killing them one by one. There were five wolves in total, but that didn't matter to Aidan. Anytime he encountered the wolves, he made them pay with one of their lives. After the third one died, the other two learned to stay the hell away, which led Aidan to hunt them down through the darkness. He had chased the final one all the way back to his camp, where he finally caught up to it and slit its throat, finally earning him some peace. He felt what he had felt all those years ago in the mountains, _alive_. Somehow, the wolves had pushed him to continue wanting to live, and helped him move past the pain of losing everyone who meant something to him.

As the adrenaline finally wore off, he really felt the exhaustion of his body, and needed to lay down. He hadn't eaten all day, so he cut off some meat from the wolf he had just killed and cooked it over the torch. While he ate his food, he began to plot his escape from the cavern. He couldn't stay there forever, he knew, and hadn't found an exit during his hunt for the wolves. _They got in here somehow, _he thought, _I'll find the way_. He was going to get out of this cave, and was going to hunt down those responsible for the deaths of his friends and loved ones like he hunted down the wolves.

He finished his meal and moved the pack to a position that he could rest his head on it, and began to allow himself to start to fall asleep. Just as he was on the verge, he heard shouting and jolted awake, listening. He didn't hear anything, and figured it must have been his mind playing tricks on him, so he laid back down and started to doze off again. Again, he was startled by the shouts, though they were getting closer. Realizing that they were real, Aidan brought out his knife and moved to the edge of the light, concealing himself from view. He heard footsteps, and the yells became louder, and he realized what they were coming from. U.S. military troops. Not just any troops, _marines_ he said to himself. He heard the shouts more clearly now, and they were calling out his name. "Over here!" he shouted as he stepped into the light, and saw a company of marines storm into his little camp site.

"Target located, sir. Bringing him out now" said one of the soldiers. The marine saluted, and then said "Lieutenant Randal, if you'd come with me please, we'll get you back to safety."

Aidan returned the salute, but was a little hesitant to trust them, as he still didn't know who had killed his friends or who put him here, and asked "How did you find me? What are you doing here?"

The marine, a Sergeant, moved forward and said, "Sir, word was sent out that you had been captured returning from a mission four days ago. We had been tracking you and the trail had gone could around this area until we saw a couple of people where they shouldn't have, and they were armed. We disposed of the threat and now have orders to take you back to the U.S. for a debriefing, sir."

"Four days? Really? Feels like it has been so much longer," he said. The marine nodded, confirming that it had been four days. _God, it feels like a lifetime ago._ "You say you took care of the guys guarding this area?" he said. The marine nodded, and that gave Aidan a smile. "Good, fuckers got what was comin' for them. Alright Sergeant, lead the way outta here." Aidan grabbed up the pack, then started walking next to the Sergeant. "What's your name, marine?" he asked.

"Sergeant Haverty, sir," the marine replied.

"Well Sergeant Haverty, thank you for guiding me out of this shit hole." He laughed, extending his hand which Haverty shook.

"Just following orders, sir," Haverty said. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, we found four wolves that had been recently killed on our way to you. Did you do that?" he asked.

"Five," Aidan responded.

"Sir?" Haverty looked confused.

"There were five wolves, not four. I guess you didn't find the fifth." Aidan clarified. He could start to see light, and couldn't be happier to be out of that cave and back in the real world. He looked back for a moment, and thought to himself, _I promise, Alex. I'll live on and I'll make whoever did this pay_. He then stepped into the humvee parked outside of the cave, and drove off to base to send him home, for the first time in what seemed like years.

* * *

Colonel Jack White sat in the small office, smoking a cigar reading over various reports of activities. Not that he really cared, he just needed to sign this and that and be done with it, or was just receiving updates on missions across the globe that he was entrusted with. What he really cared about, was what the status of his newest project was. He had been looking at his computer screen for the past four days, waiting for a status update to come. He felt really good about this project, and couldn't wait to get further along in it. Just as he went to pick up his glass of whiskey, he took another look at his screen and saw what he was looking for. _Project Ghost phase two complete. Subject in your office in one hour_. Jack smiled, and put away his papers and began preparing for his guest.

An hour later, Aidan found himself walking into an office, and the door closed behind him. He looked around and saw that it was quite bland, the standard military office. He looked at the man standing there looking at him, and noticed that he was staring at a Colonel. He straightened and saluted, "Lieutenant Aidan Randal reporting as requested, sir!"

The Colonel returned the salute, then offered his hand. "Colonel Jack White, but just call me Jack. Can I get you something to drink?" he offered.

Aidan returned the handshake, and accepted a glass of whiskey. "Thank you, sir," he said.

Jack sat down, and waved his hand. "Enough with the sir bullshit, call me Jack son." He took a sip of his whiskey, then sat up and looked at Aidan. "Son, I read the report on what happened to you. I'm very sorry for your losses, but I'm glad to see you've come out of it in relatively one piece."

Aidan frowned a little, but nodded a thank you and continued to sip on his whiskey. "Sorry if this is rude si... Jack, but why am I here?" he asked.

Jack gave a laugh and explained why he was here. "We are starting a new program, completely experimental, very secret. Top level shit. We went through a list of candidates and felt that you would be the best fit." He explained how Aidan's testing scores, combat record, his ability to adapt and survive, and his now unique circumstance where he had little to no ties to life outside of the military made him a prime candidate. "You would receive the best training, and receive the best missions. Ones that could further humanity as a species, and help protect countries from outright ruin. I'm not going to say it will be easy. You will be pushed harder than you can ever imagine. You'll be experimented on to make you faster, stronger, smarter, but there will be pain, should you accept."

Aidan pondered what he was told for some time, weighing his options. He didn't like the appeal of going back to a regular military unit, he was afraid of making any friends again. He always strove to be the best, it's what he and Alex had been working towards for as long as they had known each other. He also felt that in order to catch the guys who did this to him, he would need to be the best. The more he thought of it, the more he knew the answer was obvious. "I accept, I'll be part of your program."

Jack beamed a smile, and let out a cheer of approval and gave Aidan a hug. "Excellent! You have made the right choice, son. We will make you the best damn soldier the world will ever see. Welcome to the Ghost Program, son. For now, I've put in that you have two weeks of leave, and then you'll begin your training. I will warn you again, you will feel pain, and it will be tough. But fight through it, and there will not be a man or woman who could match you."

Aidan nodded, then stood up to leave, giving a salute. "I'll await my orders then, sir. Thank you for this, Jack."

Jack nodded, and closed the door as Aidan left. He went back to his computer, and opened a message. In it he typed _Project Ghost phase three in progress. Proceed as planned. Two weeks time._ He was taking a gamble on this, but he knew this program would work. _It will work, and soon we'll start making an army of these soldiers. Who needs a huge army when you have a small army of super soldiers_, he thought. Jack leaned back, lit up another cigar, and returned to his reports.

* * *

**April 10****th****, 2013**

Pain was right. Captain Aidan Randal reflected back on the past five years of his life. Experiments, extreme training, torture resistance training, all of it caused pain. But through that pain, his strive to be the best kept him going, his promise to Alex. He hadn't forgotten what was done to him, and he would make those who did it pay some day. The Ghost Program turned him into a soldier he could only dream of when he was just enlisted. Experimental treatments to hone his reflexes, strength, healing rate, vision, hearing, smell, and other minor things. He had withstood injections of chemicals that tear apart the body to prepare him for any type of torture. The scientists had used a new element that had discovered, which they called Element Zero, but they were perplexed when it had no affect on him at all, not that Aidan was complaining. He withstood all of it to ensure that he could one day fulfill his promise.

So here he stood, on his latest mission. There were rumors that scientists in Egypt had uncovered something strange, something that looked alien. Aidan personally believed that it was a bunch of bull, but he was sent to investigate, and if the rumors turned out to be true, eliminate the scientists and secure the artifact for an extraction team. He was to avoid killing civilians unless directly threatened by them, but all security and military personnel were fair game. He looked through the scope of his silenced M40A5 sniper rifle, and scouted the area. _No civilians outside_, he observed, then mentally marked the positions of all security guards in the area. He steadied his breath, then focused on the first target. _Bang. _Second target. _Bang_. Third target. _Bang_. Fourth target. _Bang. _Fifth target. _Bang._ Five shots, five kills.

Aidan waited a moment to see if any alarms had been triggered. When he saw the coast was clear, he continued on into the base, drawing out his dual suppressed Beretta M9's. He began down through the research base, moving like a ghost through the levels, nobody the wiser that he was there. The halls were all empty, making it much easier on Aidan to get through. Everyone was below researching or looking at the artifact, nobody wanted to be left out in it.

He made his way down to the research level, and there he saw it. It was a small, metallic cylindrical shaped object with a wide base and strange markings going down the side of it. It was giving off a faint green glow, and certainly did not look like anything from this world. He went back around the corner and turned on his radio. "Marine command, this is Ghost, do you read?"

"_We read you, Ghost. Go ahead,_" the voice on the other line said.

"Artifact is confirmed of alien origin. Request permission to engage and secure artifact," he asked.

"_Permission granted, extraction team will be there in 5 minutes_."

Aidan turned off his radio and readied his pistols, then rounded the corner. He started shooting anything that moved, scientist and security alike. Well placed head shots from his pistols quickly took care of the majority of people on the level, and after reloading he dispatched the rest with relative ease. Flipping his radio back on, he said "Extraction team this is Ghost. Level secure, moving to prep artifact."

"_Roger Ghost, good work. Two minutes out._"

Aidan flipped his radio back off, then walked up to the artifact. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, the markings so alien and yet so smooth and elegant. He felt almost drawn to it, walking up to the metallic cylinder and touching it. The second he did, he found himself suspended in the air and a sharp pain cut through his brain.

_Death. Destruction. Machines causing destruction. There was a burning smell, people running. He couldn't understand why, and tried to stop the people who were running but they acted as if he wasn't there. Screams were heard, people scattering. He saw spaceships fighting an unknown enemy, being cut down by lances of fire and exploding into little pieces. He felt a word that was being said, a feeling more than a word. He couldn't quite understand the meaning of it, and then it cut to fields of bodies. Bodies everywhere, burning. He could see aliens fighting other similar looking aliens, though they were obviously mutated in some way. Pain and suffering, Aidan thought his head was going to explode. He heard a voice saying "Heed our warning, you must... fight... or you will all die as well. Don... repeat... mistakes." The message didn't make any sense, he thought that parts of it were missing, and tried asking the voice to tell him again. He saw planets blasted with a hell fire, and turned to ash. He saw the faces of Alex, Jackson, and Uncle Dave all smiling at him, then they were consumed by fire and mutated to charred faces with glowing lights coming from them. He was back in the experimentation room, injections being put in him that caused white hot pain to lance through his body and he cried out. Then, he was a boy again in his room in the corner, his dad standing over him laughing, consumed by flame. His father opened his mouth and one of those red lances of fire came out, and struck him, and he only saw white. _Suddenly, there was an explosion and the pain ceased in his head, sending him unconscious and throwing him across the room, the dream repeating itself in his head over and over again.

* * *

Colonel White awaited a report from the extraction team impatiently, pacing around his office. He knew that something big was at that research site, but he didn't know exactly what. He was pondering the possibilities when his phone rang, and was picked up immediately. "Status report?"

"_Colonel sir, there seems to have been an accident regarding the artifact,_" the marine on the other line informed him.

"Accident?!" he yelled. "What kind of, _accident_ are we talking about?" he demanded.

"_Sir, when the extraction team moved in after getting the clear from Ghost, we arrived on the lower level to see him suspended in the air with the artifact encircling him in a green light." _the marine explained. "_One of the men assumed the Captain's life to be in danger, sir, and fired upon the artifact causing it to explode. The Captain is now under medical care, but the doctors say he is in a coma and say his brain is off the charts and is going to kill him soon. He's almost arrived in the U.S. as we speak, and is being transported to a hospital."_

Jack sat there and thought for a moment, disappointed that the artifact was destroyed. He took a puff of his cigar, then spoke to the marine on the phone. "Listen up marine, you did the right thing. If the Captain's life was in danger you were correct to destroy it and I do not fault you for that. But the Captain cannot die, it may have done something to him or gave him some type of information that may be useful. We may not have the technology to help him now, but we may in the future. Take him to the DoD Cryogenics lab and freeze him under my command and military contract 452A93Z."

"_Freeze him, sir? Are you sure this will work?_" the marine said.

Jack gave a laugh. "Fuck no, son! But at least this way we have a chance at saving him in the future, rather than his ass dying on us now."

"_Yes sir, rerouting to the DoD now. Will they know we are coming, sir?_" the marine asked.

"You let me take care of that, son," Jack responded.

"_Yes, sir!_" the marine yelled before hanging up the phone.

Jack looked at the phone and dialed a different number, then brought it back up to his hear. "Yes, Doctor Freeman? This is Colonel Jack White. We have a soldier coming to you to be frozen, how soon can you be ready to receive him?" Jack asked. They discussed the current situation going on with Jack's brain, and the doctor agreed that they didn't have much choice in the matter, and that he would be frozen upon arrival, and then hiding him away with everything being strictly classified. "I appreciate this doctor, we'll see that you are rewarded for this greatly," he said. He then hung up the phone, and sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He then picked up his glass of whiskey and lifted it up. "It was nice knowin' ya, Captain. God help you wherever you end up in time," he said, tilting the glass back.

He opened his computer a couple of hours later, to find a new message from Doctor Freeman. _Subject frozen and secure. All files classified and location forwarded to yourself and your superiors._ He smiled, then shut down his computer. He tilted the glass back one more time in memory of Aidan Randal, then walked out of the door to go inform his superiors of what had just happened.

* * *

**A/N: **_And thus ends the prelude! Hurray! Now I get to write about Shepard and her lovely Liara, I can't wait. The next chapter might not be up for a while since I will be out of the country for most of the month, but fear not I will try to write while I am away to not keep you guys waiting. Tune in next time for Zoe Shepard! I hope you all enjoyed, and thanks for sticking with me while I went through this character's origins. Till next time!_


	7. Chapter 1: Shepard

**A/N: **_Well, I'm back! Being out of the country was fun, but I'm really glad to be back. Sorry to keep you guys waiting so long, I actually had much less time than I thought I would have while I was away. But while I was away, I did have time to plan some things out for the future of the series, and lets just say some things will get interesting, and you may or may not hate me for it :) That being said, lets begin!_

_Also, big thanks to owelpost for Beta Reading this chapter, and whipping it into shape._

* * *

**2183, Arcturus Station**

"We can't just put any soldier on this job, David, we need someone who can be ruthless. Someone who can get the job done, consequences be damned," Admiral Hackett said. Looking out the windows of Arcturus Station, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at the situation. The Alliance had received word from one of its most successful colonies, Eden Prime, that a Prothean beacon had been uncovered during a dig, and requested pickup of the artifact. Seeing this as an opportunity to improve relations with other Council races, the Alliance higher-ups forwarded the information to the Council on the condition that they be allowed to select a candidate for review for the SPECTREs, the most elite force in the Council. They agreed, and Alliance brass had tasked himself, Captain David Anderson, Staff Commander David Snow, Captain Matt Stephensen, Rear Admiral Kahoku, and Major Arthur Shiply with finding the perfect soldier for the job, however that turned out to be easier said than done.

"I know sir," Anderson replied. "We need to make sure this goes right, this is our best chance to finally get into the SPECTREs. We have dossiers on 5 potential candidates, so let's begin and pray that one of them is up to the task." They all sat down at the large, circular wooden desk and holo screens popped up in front of them as they sat, the first file popping up for review. "All right, candidate number one is up on the screen."

"Subject One, Commander Bruce Jakal. N7 graduate," The computer VI stated, pulling up the soldier's profile.

"No," Hackett said immediately. "Jakal is good, but he can't handle the type of pressure for this job. He's more effective when he has someone else leading, with a good squad around him. We need someone who can work in a squad, but could get the job done by themselves if need be."

"Agreed," Anderson said, with similar remarks coming from the other members of the board. The file was cast away, and the next file showed up.

"Subject Two, Commander Alice Hawthorn, N7 graduate." Again, a new file popped up with service record, past history, psych evaluations, and other such documentation popping up.

This time, it was Anderson to voice his disapproval. "Not her, either. She's an infiltrator, not exactly the best in open combat."

Hackett nodded in agreement, then added, "Agreed, besides she was about to be assigned a deep undercover op for the Alliance to track down anti-alien terrorist cells on the various colonies." He closed the file, and the next popped up, and was again met with swift disapproval, along with the one following that. Finally, they had come to the last one, hoping that this would be the soldier they were looking for.

"Subject Five, Commander Zoe Shep-" the VI started, before being swiftly cut off by one of the other members reviewing the soldiers.

"Absolutely not!" the man, Major Shiply, exclaimed. "I will not have the Butcher being put on this assignment!"

The sudden disdain caused Anderson's face to wrinkle in anger at Shepard being called the Butcher. Anderson had discovered Shepard pretty early in her life, getting her out of the gangs on Earth and showing her that she had the potential to be somebody in the Alliance. He got her through boot, trained her up through the ranks, and eventually got her into the N7 program. She was the best damn soldier he had ever seen, and was immensely proud and protective of her. She was practically a daughter.

He rose up from the desk, showing his intimidating frame, and leaned forward in the direction of the man voicing is disapproval, and said, "You will refrain from calling Commander Shepard that if you know what is good for you. Now, this is the last dossier we have, and these are the best of the best. Not one of the candidates you found to be suitable, not even our beloved Hero of Elysium. What I can tell you, is that Shepard is the best damn soldier out of all of them. Say what you want about her past, she accomplishes what she sets her mind to. That is exactly what we need, and she can do it all and better." With that, he gave his vote of approval and sat back down, looking for the others to decide.

Admiral Hackett was the next to stand, voicing his own opinion. "What Captain Anderson says is true, Shepard is the best soldier out of all of them. We have to remember, this isn't a damn PR campaign, we need to send our best to get into the SPECTREs, and quite frankly she is it. If you have concerns about her past, you need to leave them here because I can assure you that it will not be a problem. We will, however, keep an eye on her." With that, Hackett also gave his vote of approval, and sat back down.

There was grumbling around the rest of the officials, figuring out where each other stood, before 3 more yes' came in. One no came from the man who absolutely refused to be a part of accepting Shepard into the role.

Hackett then rose to his feet, and stated, "Well, that's it then. By a vote of 5 to 1, Shepard has been selected for the role of going to Eden Prime to recover the beacon and our candidate for the SPECTREs. Will will be dispatched to her immediately to report for debriefing. It has already been decided that Captain Anderson and the Normandy will be taking this mission, with Anderson providing oversight to Shepard and the mission."

With that, the meeting was adjourned, all officials except Anderson rising to their feet, saluting, then leaving the room. After they were gone, Anderson walked over to where Hackett was, and stared out the window. After a moment, Hackett asked, "Are we sure about this? The media will have a field day with her."

Anderson let out a sigh of acceptance. "You're probably right, but that doesn't matter. Shepard did what needed to be done on Torfan, and I'm not one to question that. Besides, I know her, or at least I like to think I do, but she is not as bad and big of a monster as they make her out to be. Besides, we needed the best, and we're not in a position to be picky about this."

Hackett gave a bit of a chuckle as he realized that they really weren't in a position to be choosy about who was the best. He looked over to Anderson and said, "I'll trust you on this, keep an eye out for her. Update me as soon as your mission has completed, and let me know how the preliminary evaluation for her candidacy works out." He walked to the door to leave, then stopped and turned back, saying, "I may also have something for you when you get back. I'm hearing mumblings that we have something related to the Protheans here on the station, but nobody is 100% sure on it. I'll fill you in on more details once I find out. Good luck Captain."

Anderson nodded, and then saluted the Admiral. The salute was returned, and he watched the Admiral leave. Now alone, he turned back to the window to stare at the vast nothingness of space, and thought to himself, _I hope you're ready for this, Shepard. We'll need you now more than ever_. He brought up his omni tool, pulled up the contact information for a messenger, and forwarded the orders from Admiral Hackett, and sent the message, then returned to staring out into space.

* * *

**Athens, Horsehead Nebula**

Commander Zoe Shepard sat at her usual table in the bar on base, the darkest corner away from everything else. It's not that she didn't like people, quite the opposite actually. She got along great with people in her unit, made a habit out of talking to each man and woman under her command to figure out who they were. Generally she was a bit of a joker when outside of combat. However, she did have her darker side, one she couldn't stay away from forever. Sometimes, like now, she just needed to be alone, alone to brood and just given time to get over it. Sometimes it could last for days, other times just an hour or two would do it. Nobody in her unit understood, but then again nobody in her unit really knew her. She only allowed them to see Commander Shepard, never Zoe.

Her units quickly learned that Commander Shepard was a cold, calculating, ruthless killer on the battlefield. She was given a task, and she always got it done, going to insane lengths to accomplish the task. Most of the time, she would be able to do whatever she was given without losing a single man, while her running into the fray like a madwoman. Other times she had to sacrifice, and she did it without a bat of her eyelashes. It was for this reason that when anyone was assigned to work under her, there was a mix of excitement and extreme fear. Working with Shepard meant you would be under the command of one of the greatest soldiers in the Alliance, with a chance to improve and learn from her. On the other hand, everyone was aware at how easily they could be sacrificed to get the job done.

It was now, after coming back from taking out yet another Batarian slaver ring, that she was in one of her down states. Everyone knew that she would be able to sacrifice people for the mission without any second guesses, but what they didn't know is that each sacrifice hurt her immensely. She had her own unique way of remembering every sacrifice, seeing it as a failure on her part to keep everyone safe. _Ironic_, she thought to herself. _I'll sacrifice anyone in a heartbeat if it meant completing the mission or not, but I feel like I failed if I do._ Deep down, the rational part of her brain was telling her that she was being human, that she still cared about people. For now, however, she just wanted to get wasted and forget about the unit she sacrificed to gain the advantage over the Batarians.

After finishing the last bit of her red label whiskey, she was about to go and get another from the bar when she saw a man in military uniform approaching, looking nervous and scanning the area. She groaned to herself, already knowing that the man was looking for her. She did her best to sulk back into her seat and hide in the shadows, but the man had already spotted her and walked over.

She reflexively picked up her glass to take another drink before the man got there, and then cursed herself as she remembered she was fresh out. _Nice going Shep, the piper's coming and you don't even have a drink to go with you_. She laughed a bit at that thought, then leaned forward as the man arrived at her table.

"Commander Shepard?" The man asked as he looked at the woman sitting before him. For a female, she was pretty tall standing at 5'7", but for some reason any vids made her seem much taller. Her appearance made her look like any old civilian when not in uniform, and if not for her being the 'Butcher of Torfan', most military personnel would not recognize her in her civvies, well worn jeans and a tank top, with a custom leather jacket. Her dark brown hair was let down and hung around her shoulders. Even in the dark corner, her hair had a natural shine to it that most couldn't explain. She was very good looking, but she wouldn't ever believe anyone when they said it. Her most striking feature had to be her eyes though. They were a mix of stormy blue, and forest green, creating a perfect blend of color that just enveloped anyone who looked into them. However beautiful they were, the longer he looked into them, the colder they appeared. It sent a chill down his spine. It was that look that let soldiers knew she was the real deal, and to fall in line.

Looking up from her glass she pretended to be studying, hoping the man would go away, she answered, "That's me. You have a reason for disturbing me off duty, _Ensign_?" She hated being disturbed while she was in her moods, especially by errand boys.

The man shrunk back a little by her tone, obviously intimidated. Still, he managed to sputter out his message. "Y-Yes ma'am. Orders ma'am, you're to report to the space port immediately for reassignment."

She looked at the man for a while, raising an eyebrow. _Transfer? Who the fuck wants me off this detail so badly to transfer me out?_ She had started to kind of like the detail that she was on, hunting down batarian pirates and slavers and freeing slaves. It wasn't the most glorious of jobs, but she enjoyed taking down a batarian any day of the week, ever since Torfan. She had actually been doing very well, which made her wonder why she would be transferred so suddenly. She realized that the man was waiting for her to speak, so she did. "On who's orders, Ensign?"

The man just shook his head at her. "I was just told you were to go to the spaceport and await pickup ma'am, that's all I know. We tried contacting your omni-tool, but there was no answer." He left the datapad containing the orders on the table, and promptly left as fast as he could.

"That's cause when I'm off duty, I'm _off duty_," she hollered after the Ensign. She grabbed the datapad to confirm what the Ensign had said, and then sighed as she was indeed being reassigned. No station listed, no ship, no commanding officer, nothing. Just orders for her to report to the spaceport to await pickup. She didn't like the secrecy of this, and figured it was pretty big, so she decided to head out immediately. She dropped a credit chit on the table to pay for the whiskey, grabbed up her jacket, and walked towards the spaceport.

* * *

She had to admit, being assigned to the Normandy was quite a surprise. She had heard about the new frigate co-developed by the turians and the humans. What surprised her even further was that she was working under Captain David Anderson, a close friend of hers. She had just finished the tour of the ship and they were on their way to their mission, Eden Prime. Amongst the crew, she had noticed, was a council SPECTRE. She didn't talk to him in person, only saw him in passing, but heard from the crew that his name was Nihlus Kryik. The presence of a council SPECTRE on board confused her greatly, as this was just a shakedown to Eden Prime, a poster colony for humanity. As she completed the tour, she found herself wandering back to the helm, to get a view out of the virtual windows at where they were headed. She heard two people talking in the cockpit and decided to approach slowly as to not interrupt, in order to get a feel for how the crew behaved when she wasn't around.

"I'm tellin' ya, I don't like it. This isn't any normal shakedown run, SPECTREs are bad news Kaidan," the pilot, Joker, said. She'd read up on him, Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau. From his file, she knew he was the best damn pilot in the Alliance fleet. She also knew about his Vrolik's Syndrome, a condition that made his bones brittle. That he had come to where he was despite his body's limitations gave her an admiration of the man. She could also identify with him for going through hardship like that to succeed.

"I think you're just over reacting Joker, wanting to see things even when they aren't there," the other man, Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, said. "Besides, this is a jointly developed ship with the humans and turians, they probably just wanted to send their best to ensure everything goes perfectly." The man had a point, but a small one in her book. Something smelled really fishy about this mission, and she didn't like it one bit. Still, the LT seemed like a level headed man, especially considering he was a human biotic. He happened to turn slightly and see her out of the corner of his eye, and promptly got very quiet.

Joker didn't seem to notice, and replied back to him. "Yea, yea, whatever. I'm tellin' ya, this isn't a regular mission. Shit, we even have Commander Shepard on board with us, this is the real deal." He said, still oblivious to her presence and Kaidan's sudden stiffness and trying not to laugh at him when he mentioned her name. "Speaking of Shepard, she's actually pretty hot." The comment made Kaidan's eyes widen a little bit, fighting harder not to smirk, eyes going to Shepard standing now right behind Joker. "She's a bit shorter than I thought, though. Always thought she'd be taller."

Shepard finally let out a laugh, and said, "That's because I don't need to compensate for anything." She couldn't help but laugh more as Joker suddenly went completely stiff at the sound of her voice, turning his chair around very slowly so she could see the horror and embarrassment on his face.

To his credit, Joker didn't try to apologize at all. He cast a glance over to Kaidan to see that he was grinning, and looked back and only said, "Shit."

Shepard was done having her fun with him, and decided to let him off the hook. "So you think something isn't right with this mission?"

Joker, very grateful for the obvious out, he immediately nodded his head. "Just doesn't feel right. Having you aboard, no offense. With Captain Anderson, and the most amazing crew ever to be assembled, it feels as if we're going to war. Add a badass ship into the mix? Somethin ain't right."

She could see Kaidan rolling his eyes, knowing that he wasn't going to change his belief that Joker was paranoid. However she felt about the mission personally, the fact that the crew are uneasy about the current mission didn't sit right with her. She never did like being kept in the dark on missions, it usually meant people died. She determined that she was going to find out the truth from Anderson later, then try and set the crew at ease if she could. Even on a shakedown run, she needed everyone at their best, not bickering about whether or not something suspicious was happening. "I agree with you Joker, something doesn't sit right with me about this mission. I'll see if I can't find anything out for you guys."

Both men looked at each other, shocked that she actually agreed with Joker and that she would actually look into it for them. Most commanding officers they had would have told them to 'can the scuttlebutt' and get back to work. They obviously didn't know Commander Shepard very well. She liked to give her opinion on something, and was not afraid to say what she thought. She was also the type that cared for her crew. She didn't like to get too close to anyone, knowing that eventually she might have to sacrifice them, saving herself the pain of losing a true friend.

As she was being amused by their reaction to her admission, the com turned on and Anderson's voice came through. "Joker, send Commander Shepard to the comm room for debriefing. I also want reports ready to be sent to Alliance Command the second we are done with Eden Prime, secure a connection with a comm buoy and begin preliminary reports."

"Aye-aye sir. Better brace yourself, I think I saw Nihlus heading your way Captain." Joker said.

"He's already here, Lieutenant." Anderson said in an almost scolding voice, causing Joker to sink into his seat a little bit.

Shepard gave a smirk at that, and slowly turned to walk her way towards the comm room.

"Geez, not even a thank you for taking the Normandy through the mass relay. Thank you for keeping drift below the standard 5k. Great job jumping across the galaxy and hitting our target that's the size of a pinhead. That's kind of hard, in case anyone was wondering." Joker commented after closing the comm.

Shepard looked over her shoulder, and shouted back in a humorous tone. "Very wonderful work Joker! I'll be sure to put in to Alliance Command for a medal for you, and make sure they have lengthy ceremonies with speeches and dignitaries for your honor and bravery piloting a ship through the mass relays."

That gave Joker a laugh, but he understood her meaning. "No need for all that Commander, just a little recognition or a pat on the back would be good for me. Medal might be nice though, just without all the speeches and events to go with it."

Shepard paused a second, before turning back and saying, "Was a pretty good jump though, glad to have the best pilot in the fleet flying us into the unknown." With that she walked off, leaving a grinning Joker alone with Kaidan, who gave a slight groan at the ego boost. She couldn't help it, she liked the Flight Lieutenant, and with his Vrolik's he deserves to be a little cocky. He worked for everything he had and could back up his talk, and Shepard respected that. With the smallest of smiles, she continued towards the comm room, wondering what kind of briefing she was about to receive.


	8. Chapter 2: Eden Prime

**A/N:**_ Thanks again to owelpost for making this chapter so much better. Enjoy!_

* * *

Shepard rounded the corner to the comm room, wondering what lay ahead for her. She had just spoken to Pressley, Jenkins, and Chakwas and they had also expressed a concern that something wasn't right about this mission. She told them all she'd look into it, and she intended to. Her gut was going crazy, tightening up and tingling as it always had when she got a feeling, and her gut was _always_ right. It had never failed her. She also made a note to herself to watch Jenkins, the kid was really bouncy. _Gunna get himself killed being eager like that_, she thought to herself.

She opened the door to the comm room and walked in, surprised to find only Nihlus in there at the vid screen. She approached slowly. The turian turned around to greet her.

"Ah, Commander Shepard. I was hoping you would get here before your captain. It might give us a chance to talk."

"Where's Captain Anderson?" she questioned. She wanted to find out what was going on as soon as she could, she needed the crew focused not gossiping on what is or isn't going on with this mission.

"He's on his way," the turian said almost dismissively. "I wanted to know more about this colony we're going to... Eden Prime is it? I've heard it's quite beautiful."

Shepard _hated _small talk. She hated people talking about pointless things before they got to what they really wanted. They didn't care about what was being asked, didn't care about the response, and was a huge waste of everyone's time. She had thought it just a human thing, but her experiences across the galaxy had taught her otherwise. "I'm not the one to ask, I'm not from there. It's supposedly one of our most beautiful colonies. If you wanna know more, go talk to Corporal Jenkins and cut the small talk crap."

The turian gave a bit of a smile, she could tell he hadn't been expecting that kind of answer and was pleased. Nevertheless, he continued. "Yes, a paradise from what I hear. A symbol for your people, proof that humanity is capable of establishing successful colonies across the galaxy."

She was annoyed at this point, wanting to know what he was getting at. "Yes, we are just as capable as other species at setting up colonies in the galaxy. What are you getting at?"

The turian looked at her for a moment, before he opened his mandibles in a weird way. She guessed that he was amused, which only served to annoy her greater. "So you say, Shepard. Apparently you can keep them pretty safe, Mindoir withstanding," he said. "How safe is it, _really_?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked. She didn't like where this was going, and something told her it dealt with their current mission.

"The galaxy can be an extremely dangerous place, Shepard. Is the Alliance truly ready for this?" he asked.

"Ready for wha—" she was cut off at the sound of the comm room door opening, Anderson walking through. The marine snapped straight and fired off a salute.

Anderson returned the salute, then approached the vid screen they were at. "At ease Shepard, glad you could make it." After Shepard released the salute, he turned his attention towards Nihlus. "I think it's time we told the commander what's really going on."

_So it's true, this isn't just some shakedown run_, she thought to herself. She started to run through the possibilities in her head, trying to figure it out before she was told. She hated being kept in the dark, especially when it might lead her into some dangerous situations.

"This isn't a standard shakedown run for the Normandy, and I'm not here to represent the turians in this matter," Nihlus said.

This caused Shepard to snort. "Yeah, no shit, most of the crew already figured out this isn't a normal shakedown run. So why don't you just tell me what's going on?"

"Sorry Shepard," Anderson apologized. "This came straight from the top. I wanted to let you know sooner, but the brass deemed it need-to-know."

This caused an anger to stir within Shepard, her body raising up and made her appear taller than her 5'7" frame, and her voice raising to a level slightly below a yell. "I'm in charge of the ground team! I'll be leading soldiers into god knows what, their lives are my responsibility. How the fuck am I supposed to know how many soldiers to bring, equipment to carry, expected enemies, and other _vital_ combat information if I'm not included? Don't you think that qualifies as 'need-to-know'?" She knew that she was wrong for venting on Anderson, who was like a father to her, but was tired of being put in this situation. "Let's not forget the last time the Alliance decided that I didn't need to know what I was getting myself into."

Anderson just looked at her, expression stony. But his eyes showed sympathy, knowing what she had gone through on Torfan. He didn't like keeping her in the dark, but he had his reasons. "I'm sorry Shepard, but it was necessary to keep this quiet. Three weeks ago, a research team uncovered an artifact while on a dig. It was a Prothean beacon."

Shepard's eyes widened as she digested what she was told. Prothean technology found on Mars had propelled humanity's technology forward two hundred years, finding another one could be a huge deal. Then, another realization hit her. "Anderson, if word got out that another beacon has been discovered, there's no telling who would want to get their hands on it. Not to mention the kinds of lengths people would go to retrieve it."

Anderson nodded at her, then began to pace. "Exactly our thoughts, which is why we let the Council know about the beacon. We need to improve galactic relations, and giving this beacon to the Council is a gesture of good faith on our part. In return, the Council agreed to let us put forth a candidate for the SPECTREs."

Shepard frowned. She knew what was about to come, and she didn't like it. She didn't want to be put in the spotlight like that, she just preferred to get her job done and go about her business. She didn't want to have to deal with fame or being the hero, she thought of herself as just a soldier. "Let me guess, that candidate was me," she groaned.

Anderson gave her a quizzical look, then nodded. "Yes, Shepard. Out of all the soldiers we screened and reviewed, you were the best for the position. Nihlus here will be accompanying you on several missions to get a feel for your skills, before putting forth a recommendation to the Council."

Nihlus stepped up and looked towards her. "I look forward to seeing you in action, Shepard. From what I have heard it is most impressive. What you did at Torfan is exactly what we expect from SPECTREs. You are capable of making the hard decision to get the job done."

At the mentioning of Torfan, Shepard's eyes went cold, her jaw clenched, and her body coiled up as if to strike. "I do _not_ like what I did on Torfan, and you will refrain from mentioning it in my presence again, _understood_?" Her voice was pure ice, sending chills down Anderson's spine.. Even Nihlus was taken aback by the coldness of her voice.

Both men just stood there, not exactly sure how to deal with the situation. In that moment, the comms came to life. "Captain, we've got a problem," Joker's voice blared over the speakers. "Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this."

The three of them turned to the vid screen as Joker brought up the transmission. What they saw, they definitely were not expecting. Soldiers firing shots rapidly, and taking fire from an unseen enemy. There were shouts to get down, and then the message came through. 'We are under attack! Sustaining heavy casualties we nee... vac. Cannot hold... longer. Enemy came... nowhere... respon... evac now!' All of the sudden there was a loud, blaring noise in the background and all shooting suddenly stopped. The camera looked around for a second, before turning around to show what looked like a giant metal hand coming out of the sky. It was a jet black, almost that of space, and a red electricity was dancing off the hull of the ship. It was much larger than any ship in the galaxy, even the Destiny Ascension. Suddenly, the shooting resumed and the camera suddenly jerked to the side violently, followed by a scream, then the screen went to static.

"Everything goes dead after that. Nothing on the comms, just dead silence," Joker said.

Anderson looked at the screen a moment, before replying back to his pilot. "Pull up the transmission again, hold at 38.5 seconds."

The image of the hand popped up on screen again, and Shepard felt her stomach was flip flopping inside, and she could feel her insides tightening. That hand was bad news. It didn't look like anything she had ever seen before, and judging off the expression on the other two's faces, they hadn't either.

_I need a bigger gun!_

"Well, this mission just got more complicated," Anderson said. "Joker, what's our ETA?"

"Fifteen minutes, Captain."

"Good, take us in nice and quiet. Time to test out the new stealth system," Anderson said.

Nihlus thought a moment before he spoke. "I believe splitting up would be best. I work best on my own, but a small strike team shouldn't attract too much attention."

Shepard nodded in agreement. Small strike teams usually were the way to go, and she couldn't deny she was glad that the SPECTRE wouldn't be following her, observing her every move. "Notify Jenkins and Alenko to get down to the cargo bay in five. We won't let you down, sir." She looked over to Nihlus and gave him a reassuring nod. "If you run into too much trouble, radio us. We have your back."

They began to file out of the cargo bay, and Joker came over the comm system. "On approach vector to Eden Prime, all hands combat stations. ETA seven minutes."

Anderson walked with Shepard down to the elevator, and gave her an encouraging slap of the shoulder as she got on. "Good luck out there Shepard. Remember, whatever you may encounter down there, the beacon is your top priority. We need to make sure that it is secure and can be transported back to the council in one piece, everything else is secondary."

She turned around to face him, and snapped off a salute. "Like I said sir," she said, "I won't let you down."

* * *

Shepard unshipped her standard issue Lancer assault rifle as her boots touched the ground. She scanned the area, trying to get a feel for her surroundings, and found that they were alone for the moment. Looking at the scenery and the planet, she couldn't help but agree with what she had been told about the planet. It was serene, and beautiful. The colors were vibrant and it just had a relaxing feel to it, save for the blood red that painted the skyline. She could see trees that blanketed the landscape, tall and vibrant that put the trees she had seen on Earth to shame. Off in the distance she could see large rock formations, and made a note that she would love to go climbing on them one day. Though she couldn't see it, she picked up a distinct oceanic scent that was very pleasing.

She looked over to Alenko and Jenkins to make sure they had made the drop alright. Satisfied, she turned to Jenkins and spoke. "Jenkins, you know the planet best so you're on point. Keep your wits about you and stay calm. Don't do anything stupid to get yourself killed, or I'll bring you back just so I can shoot you myself."

She could hear Jenkins take a quick gulp, before he nodded. "Yes ma'am," he said. "According to the intel we have, the dig site should be this way. Follow me."

They began walking, weapons raised, towards an outcropping of rocks that scattered a large hill. _Perfect cover, and a great place to be ambushed_, she thought. She saw some creatures by a water source to her right, but when Jenkins looked and made no attempt to eliminate them, she ignored them.

They came up to the foot of the hill, and stopped to check the route ahead before proceeding along their route. Shepard crouched along side Jenkins, looking up the hill. She scanned the treeline and rock formations, and she got a slight prickling feeling along her neck. She didn't see anything, and that is what bothered her. The ground team on the transmission had been lit up from enemy fire. That there was no sign of them now set off all kinds of red flags for her. She waved Jenkins toward the nearest cover, and continued to watch the hill alongside Kaidan.

Jenkins, a bit too eager for action, kept moving forward. Shepard noticed this too late, as two metallic drones flew out of the woods, guns blazing. They penetrated Jenkins' shields almost instantly, and he slumped down riddled with bullet holes. _Fucking hell_, she thought. _He's just a goddamn kid, I shouldn't have brought him._ While she mentally beat herself up for her mistake, she barked orders to Kaidan. "Alenko! Move to cover and lay down suppressing fire, take them out with biotics if you can!" She raised her Lancer and fired three quick bursts at the first drone, taking it down quickly. She rolled into cover as the groud where she'd been was tore up by bullets. She saw the drone glow blue for a second then seem to implode. She looked over to Kaidan, glowing blue, and gave him a nod.

She glanced up at the treeline again. Satisfied that they were clear for the moment, she looked back to see Kaidan kneeling over Jenkins' body. He looked at her as she walked over, she could tell he was hurting. "Ripped right through his shields, he never stood a chance."

She had to keep Kaidan's head in the game, she had a mission to complete and his biotics would come in handy. She also had no intentions of finishing this mission alone. "We can't do anything for him now, but we'll see that he gets a proper burial when this is over." She paused for a minute, before she reached down and closed his eyelids. _Just a kid, no more than 19 or 20_. She rose back up, then turned to Kaidan. "Let's go Alenko. We have to get to that dig site and make sure the beacon is secure. I have a feeling our party crashers aren't here looking for some booze." She hoped the humor would refocus him.

Alenko laughed. "Right behind you, ma'am. Lets get to the beacon."

* * *

Run.

That was all Ashley could think at the moment, all she would allow herself to think. She just watched her whole unit get wiped out by geth, and she was doing her best not to join them. She knew when they uncovered that beacon nothing but trouble would follow. _I hate being right sometimes_. She turned her torso to the side while she ran to take a couple shots at the geth chasing her. She rounded a corner and spotted a large rock she could use as cover, and willed her legs to run with all the strength she had left.

She whipped around the large boulder and slammed her back up against it, raising her pistol to get ready for what was about to come. _Fuck, I'm going to die_. This wasn't how she wanted to go, she wanted to keep going to prove everyone in the Alliance wrong, to erase the dirt that has been spread over her family name, but wasn't much she could do about her current predicament. She was about to turn from cover and fire when she heard the loud crack of what was unmistakably a standard issue Mantis sniper. Confused, she looked up and saw two soldiers at the top of the hill. _Thank god!_ Suddenly feeling very alive, she turned and fired alongside the two soldiers and quickly dispatched the geth attacking her.

She shipped her pistol as the two approached, catching her breath from her frantic run. She straightened and saluted as she saw the lead female approach in her N7 armor. "Thanks for your help, ma'am. I didn't think I was going to make it," she said. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212 ma'am, are you in charge?"

The woman in front of her was quite impressive, Ashley had to admit. She carried herself proud and strong on the battlefield, carrying everything from a sniper to a shotgun on her weapons pack. She even saw an old issue Marine knife strapped against the side of her boot. Ashley could tell right away that she was going to get along great with this woman. "Commander Shepard of the Normandy, you wounded Williams?" the woman replied.

Ashley sat there stunned. Almost every soldier knew the 'Butcher of Torfan'. Ashley didn't particularly care what happened on Torfan, but she looked up to the woman as almost every female soldier in the Alliance did. "Commander Shepard? What the hell are you doing here, ma'am? And no, no serious wounds ma'am. Just cuts and scrapes."

The Commander replied in a calm and strong voice, "We were sent here to retrieve the beacon at the dig site. Looks like the geth have other plans. Where is the rest of your unit?"

Ashley looked down as she remembered what happened to her unit. "Gone, ma'am. We were on patrol at the digsite when they attacked us. We didn't really have time to react, half the unit dropped within the first ten minutes."

Shepard stepped towards her and lifted up her chin. "That wasn't your fault, Williams. Don't blame yourself for being surprised by the geth, they haven't been seen outside the Veil in ages. Can you take me to the dig site?" Ashley nodded, and the woman seemed pleased. "Alright then Williams, you're with us. Lead the way."

Not one to turn down the chance to work with _the_ Commander Shepard, she quickly spouted out, "Yes ma'am, it should be just ahead."

* * *

After walking for a short distance and dispatching some geth, Shepard arrived at the dig site with Williams and Alenko, only to find that the beacon was gone. _Just my damn luck._ Williams guessed that it had been moved to the spaceport, so they headed that way. They walked up the large dirt ramp that had been formed to move the beacon, and continued on their way.

They rounded a corner, to find themselves staring at three devices with large spikes coming out of them, bodies at the top. She walked forward slowly, intending to examine the devices when she heard a screech and the spikes retracted down into the device, leaving the bodies on top. She began to approach the bodies, when they started to move, causing her to back up next to her team. "Oh god, they're still alive," she heard Alenko mutter.

They were human bodies, or what was left of them, but they had a strange blue glow and their skin was black and charred, obviously nothing human was left. When they started charging at her team, she yelled, "Open fire!" The three simultaneously sent bullets flying through them, but the creatures were more resilient than they looked.

After killing them, Shepard walked over and knelt next to one of the bodies. It wasn't like anything she had seen before. There was electronics snaking through the charred corpse. "What did the geth do to them," Ashley asked. _That's a good question, _Shepard thought to herself.

"Whatever was done to them, they are no longer human. These are hostiles and are to be taken out on sight. Don't underestimate them because they don't have any firearms, I'd imagine it wouldn't be pleasant going hand to hand with one of these things," she instructed her team. Anything that could take that many bullets and keep walking was a huge threat in her book. _Shit, I should let Nihlus know about this_. She gave the signal to her team before radioing him.

"This is Nihlus, Shepard. What have you got?" he asked.

"Other than the obvious geth situation, we encountered something... weird," she said. "We found human corpses impaled by these large devices with spikes coming out of them. We thought they were dead, but when we got close the spikes retracted and they attempted to attack us. Their skin has been charred and they have electronics woven through their bodies. They are confirmed targets, and are extremely hostile. Be warned, bastards take more bullets than you'd think." She hoped Nihlus would take her warning seriously, she didn't need to explain how a turian SPECTRE was killed by a human husk.

"Understood, Commander. Thanks for the, as you humans say, 'heads up'," he replied. "I'm going to push forward to the spaceport. I will rendezvous with you there."

"Acknowledged." She closed the comm channel, and looked at her team. "Alright, we're going the spaceport to rendezvous with Nihlus, the SPECTRE that's working with us on this mission. Keep an eye out for these creatures, and keep your head up. Move out!" She was going to get to Nihlus, and figure out what in the name of hell was going on here. She had a strange feeling that told her things were only going to get worse.

* * *

Nihlus approached the spaceport carefully, double checking to make sure none of the creatures Shepard had warned him about were around. Satisfied, he pushed up the the entrance ramp, and took cover behind a crate. Peering over, he saw something that should not be there. "Saren?" he asked. His former mentor, Saren was hailed as the best SPECTRE. Why was he here, though? Not that he was complaining, with the geth being here he would need all the help he could get.

"Nihlus," Saren replied coldly. As Nihlus looked over his figure, he saw the tubes and cybernetics woven throughout his body. It was clear Saren had seen some tough times, but he almost looked like a robot.

"This isn't your mission, Saren. What are you doing here?" Nihlus asked. He wasn't suspicious, just wanted to know why his former mentor was on Eden Prime. He didn't think anyone else knew of this mission besides himself, the Council, and the Alliance.

"The Council thought you could use some help on this one," he stated in a friendly voice, giving a bit of a smile.

"Well, I won't deny the help," he said. "The geth? What are they doing here, they haven't ventured out of the Veil in ages. The situation is bad." He turned to survey the area around him, the fires caused by fightin in the area. He didn't like that the geth were here, but relived to have another SPECTRE alongside him to help out.

He didn't notice Saren come up behind him, nor did he notice it when Saren pulled out his gun. "Don't worry," Saren said. "I've got it all under control." All Nihlus had time to do was smile at his mentor's reassurance, before his life ended with a sharp bang.


	9. Chapter 3: Beacon

**A/N:** _Thanks again to owelpost for cleaning this all up_

* * *

Shepard and her crew had been pushing through geth for what seemed like hours now, but they were getting closer to the spaceport. It had been rough fighting, but her squad had more than proved themselves. Williams was a soldier to the core, one of the best she had ever seen. Her aim was deadly with an assault rifle, and she followed orders to a tee. Alenko's biotics had proven to be a major asset, getting them out of a tight situation more than once. He also seemed to always have her back, something she really appreciated. Ever since her mistake letting Jenkins lead, she had stayed on point. She didn't want another one of her squad members to die on this mission.

She had placed herself in harm's way more than once, trying to work off her anger for her mistake. She could hear Kaidan and Ashley talking to teach other behind her, going over her latest stunt. "I can't believe she did that, is she always like that?" Williams asked.

Kaidan looked at his commander for a second, before he responded. "If you mean jumping into the middle of five geth with a shotgun and coming out alive, probably not. Still, it is amazing to see her in action. I can see why she's considered one of the best in the Alliance." He couldn't help but admire her in a professional sense, and some not so professional ways.

Ashley just shook her head in awe. "I just wish to be half as good as she is one day."

Shepard, without turning around, shouted out behind her, "Don't undersell yourself, Williams. You're a damn fine soldier" With that, she continued walking, now out of earshot.

The two just stared blankly, not aware Shepard could hear them. Ashley was now beaming with a grin and renewed self-confidence, then her grin grew even wider when she saw where Kaidan's eyes were looking. She gave a laugh, then whispered to Kaidan. "_You like her, don't you!?" _she teased.

Kaidan immediately stiffened, and his face turned a bright red. He started shaking his head as they walked, trying to stammer out a response. "W-what? No, no, no! No, I don't like her!"

She gave a devilish grin, looking at Shepard who was looking through crates for supplies. She had Kaidan now, and he was going to get it, she needed some comedic relief after what she'd been through. "Why don't you like the commander? You think she's ugly, is that it?" After seeing Kaidan's eyes widen and face redden even more, she couldn't help but let out a laugh, which Shepard heard.

"Cut the chatter and form up, area up ahead looks prime for a fight, so get your head in the game," Shepard yelled out. She didn't mind the two of them getting to know each other, especially because she was going to request Williams be transferred to the Normandy. She didn't like that they were doing it on the battlefield, and she didn't need soldiers who were distracted.

"Yes, ma'am," they both replied, and both formed up as they pressed forward.

They were on their way up a hill leading to the spaceport, when they heard a lone shot ring out in the distance. The group paused a second, taking up defensive positions expecting an attack.

"What the hell was that?" Kaidan asked.

"Another pain in my ass," Shepard replied. She opened up her comms and tried to raise Nihlus. "Nihlus come in, we heard shots fired in the spaceport, can you confirm."

No response.

"Nihlus, this is Shepard. Acknowledge."

Nothing.

Shepard didn't like it. Their comms were working fine a while ago, and this wasn't just interference, there just wasn't a response. Something was wrong, and she knew she wouldn't like the results. "No response from Nihlus. Let's get to the spaceport and figure out what's going on."

They proceeded up to the peak of the slope, and that's when they saw it. The giant, black hand staring straight at them in the distance, slowly lifting off the ground. Chills went down Shepards spine as she looked at the dark opaqueness of the ship, it looked more terrifying up close than through a vid screen. The red lightning still arced off of the ship, dancing on the ground beneath it. They all stood there in shock of the sight before them, before Shepard was snapped out of it by movement she caught out of the corner of her eye. She looked fully now, and saw geth running at them and the screeching of the spikes. "Cover!" She threw herself against the nearest cover, then raised her rifle and took out the nearest geth unit with a quick burst. She saw two more geth drop to Ashley and Kaidan, but the husks were getting closer. She glanced over to see Ashley scoping in on another geth further down the hillside they were now on, unaware of the husks that were coming up to her exposed side. Shepard pulled out her shotgun, and started to run towards her.

_This is a bad idea_. She kept her head low as she ran past Ashley, and towards the husks approaching her. She heard more gunfire as she approached the first husk, which willed her to run faster. She slammed into the first husk, sending large shocks through her body as the husk fell backwards from the force of the blow. She raised her shotgun and fired point blank into its face, causing a bloody fountain to spray up from the now vacated head. She targeted the next husk, and planted two shots into the chest of the charred being, and it fell dead. Now focused on her, two more came running at her and tried to grab her. She sent a roundhouse kick to the head of the first one, while firing her shotgun at the second with her foot still coming down. The geth she shot fell limp to the ground, while the other tumbled down the slope from the kick. She walked slowly down to the husk, emptying the thermal clip her shotgun, and slamming home a new one. She reached the husk, and brought up her shotgun and placed the barrel on its head, then pulled the trigger.

She looked around now, covered in grime from her fight with the husks, to see the battle had finished and Ashley and Kaidan were further up the hill staring slack-jawed at her. She'd gotten used to this sort of thing happening, so she just shrugged it off. She walked back up to her squad, who were still staring at her. With a straight face, she told them, "What? Don't look at me," she pointed to her shotgun, "she's the one with the blood lust. I just try not to get on the receiving end of it."

* * *

After dealing with the civilians in the prefab overlooking the spaceport, some of whom were smugglers taking from the soldiers, they finally went to the spaceport. Ashley was in a foul mood, because she was part of the unit whose supplies were being stolen. Shepard couldn't blame her, civilians taking advantage of soldiers there to protect them and they were trying to make some credits off of them. They walked up the ramp to the spaceport, and Shepard saw what she knew was Nihlus' body and let out a groan. _God damnit, why am I always right_.

Kaidan walked forward to the body, as if to confirm what they already know. "Commander, it's Nihlus," he said. "Looks like he was shot in the back of the head, only one bullet hole. From the looks of it, probably from a heavy pistol."

Ashley was confused. "You know this turian?" she asked.

Kaidan nodded. "He was a SPECTRE with us on the Normandy."

Shepard didn't like the implications of what the Lieutenant just told her. She had already lost Jenkins, and now Nihlus was dead as well. _This is FUBAR if I've ever seen it_. She heard some movement behind the crates to their right and immediately pulled out her assault rifle and aimed it at the noise, finger holding steady on the trigger.

"Wait- Wait, don't shoot me please! I'm human, please don't shoot!" a man yelled as he appeared from behind the crates.

Shepard eyed the man suspiciously, for all she knew this was Nihlus' shooter. "You should be more careful sneaking up on soldiers. Only reason you're alive is because you don't have a gun on you. What are you doing sneaking around back there?" she asked in a cool voice.

The man gulped, and stammered out, "I-I was hiding back here, from the creatures. I'm Powell, I work here on the dock." He looked over to the turian body on the ground, then back at the woman in front of him. "I heard you say that turian's name, is he with you? I saw what happened, another turian was here and shot him."

Shepard raised her eyebrow at what she'd just been told, and lowered her weapon, the man was obviously not a threat. "What do you mean, _another_ turian? What happened here?"

The man seemed to shrink back at Shepard's strong presence. "Well... the other turian got here first. He seemed to be waiting around, giving orders over the comm or something when your friend showed up. They seemed to know each other. He called the other turian Saren, and let his guard down. They were talking and this guy turned his back, when Saren pulled out his pistol and shot him in the head."

Shepard shook her head, this was really bad. Nihlus knew whoever this Saren was, and had obviously been betrayed. "What about the prothean beacon that was supposed to be here, where is that?" she asked.

"It's on the other platform, you can get there by taking the cargo train across the way," Powell said. He was feeling very nervous now, and it was obvious he just wanted to leave. "Is it safe now, can I leave?"

"Not quite, Powell. Sources say you're the contact for the smuggling operation here on Eden Prime," Shepard said. He confirmed it when he turned pale.

"Wha- what smuggling operation? I-I don't know anything about that, I swear," he barely managed to get out.

Shepard's patience was dangerously thin, with all that had happened on this mission. She didn't have time for people bullshitting her. "Powell, we know you're the contact. You'd do well not to lie to me again, is that understood?" Her voice was full of ice and venom, eyes showing anger and the promise of pain.

The man was scared now, but not stupid enough to keep lying, or at least lying about smuggling. "Ok, ok, we lifted some stuff from military shipments, but who cares? This is Eden Prime, it was snoozeville here, we never thought they would need it! I don't have anything though, I swear." He hoped she wouldn't catch his lie, he could still make some good money off the stuff he had.

"You son of a bitch!" Ashley was fuming at this. "We're out here trying to protect your sorry asses and you steal from us?!" Ashley stepped forward in an intimidating fashion, but Shepard put out an arm to stop her, and she immediately backed off, glaring at the man.

Shepard was not impressed. This Powell was stupid enough to lie to her not once, but twice, especially after she had warned him not to do so again. She walked forward to the man, and then reached out and grabbed his shirt, bringing him closer to her. "I warned you not to lie to me, Powell," she said, "and I'm just as angry as Ms. Williams here for stealing from the military. So let's see..." she put her hand to her chin as if contemplating something. "You took what isn't yours, which is thievery." She reached down to her boot and pulled out her combat knife. "Back in old times, thieves would lose their hands for stealing." She placed the non-sharp end of the blade on the man's wrist, which caused him to jump in fear. Ashley and Kaidan looked at each other, but neither wanted to interfere. Shepard then raised the knife to her chin, eyes going a devilish cold as they looked straight into Powell's. "Of course, you also stole from the military. Stealing from the military weakens them, and weakening the military against possible enemies could be viewed as treason..." she trailed off as the man's face went deathly pale. "I'm assuming you know what the punishment for treason is." She released the man, though the look she gave him made it understood that he should stay right where he was. "Now, a couple of things can happen. I could cut off your hand, I mean the old ways did have a way of discouraging repetitive crime. I could kill you, but no, that wouldn't be good. You did help us with Nihlus and the beacon, so that wouldn't work. Keep lying to me, and that might change my opinion on that matter, though. I could also cut off your hand then kill you, should the option fancy me." The man was about to crumble , a look of absolute terror covering his face. She leaned real close to his face now, and said, "Or, you could stop fucking with me and give me the stolen goods you have so I can kill the fucking geth on this planet."

The man jumped at the harshness in her voice, then quickly reached down between some crates and pulled out some grenades and a couple of weapon mods. "Here! Here! This is all I have please just let me go!"

Shepard took the grenades and mods and handed them to her squadmates, then turned back around to Powell. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" She waved for him to go, and he ran as fast as he could.

"Wasn't that a little harsh, ma'am?" Kaidan looked at her with worry. He had never believed the stories about her being the Butcher, but after what he just saw, he wasn't entirely sure, and he despised himself for it. After all, who was he to judge her?

"Maybe," she half admitted, "but I can guarantee you that he will stay clear of crime for a very long time." She looked ahead to the cargo train, and saw the train arrive with a full load of geth on it, filing out on the the long platform to the dock. She tossed up a grenade and caught it on its way down, then flashed a grin at Ashley. "Time to have fun with our new presents. Revenge sure can be sweet, sometimes."

* * *

Thanks to the grenades they had gotten from Powell, the fight to the other platform at the spaceport had been a breeze. The train was now approaching the platform, and Shepard spotted a geth standing over what appeared to be a metal cylinder. She pulled out her sniper rifle, and looked through the scope. She observed the cylinder, and after seeing a countdown timer on it realized it was a bomb. She didn't waste and time waiting to get on the platform, and immediately fired off a shot at the geth next to it, erupting the head of the geth unit into an explosion of circuitry and metal, the body falling limp. The train docked, and they ran to cover as the geth started to fire upon her. She turned to Kaidan, and barked an order at him. "Alenko! We've got a bomb on site! I'd put my credits on there being more, your file said you had some explosives training?"

Kaidan gave a quick nod. "I know a thing or two, ma'am."

"Good," Shepard said. "Alenko, we're going to push forward and find the beacon, looking for bombs along the way. You put a barrier around yourself and diffuse them, Williams and I will take care of the tin cans." She saw Williams acknowledge her orders, and began to work her way towards the first bomb. Resistance was pretty heavy, as she expected with the beacon being so close. They kept Kaidan safe as they moved from bomb to bomb, disarming them and then rejoining and putting down any geth that got in their way as they moved. The occasional husk was encountered, and swiftly put down by Shepard, knowing that they could cause some damage if left alone for too long.

They had just dispatched the final geth unit, and stood now on a ledge overlooking the beacon. It was tall, and slightly flat rectangular shape. It had green lines tracing all along either side of it, giving it an ominous presence. That could also be attributed to the dull green glow that was surrounding the beacon entirely, almost like a fire but it was not harming the beacon. Shepard began to radio the Normandy for pickup, Ashley scanning the perimeter and going over things in her head, and Kaidan inspecting the beacon. He hadn't seen anything like it, and the sheer wonder of it made him feel drawn towards it. The green lines, the glow it was giving off, the shape and material of it, the fact that it was fifty thousand years old, just everything about it really amazed him.

He found himself much closer to the beacon now, and suddenly felt a strange pulling sensation, as if he were being pulled into the beacon. He started to worry, trying to dig his feet down to the metallic surface of the platform, but it was too slippery and he couldn't get a solid foothold. The sensation was getting stronger now, and he was about to panic when he felt strong arms wrap around him, and suddenly he was tossed aside. He rolled on the ground and got up to a knee, and looked back at who had grabbed him. It was Shepard, who was now also being pulled into the beacon, hands holding her head as if she were in severe pain. Without warning, she was raised up into the air, head tilted back and arms spread out, as if she were being possessed.

He got up to try and help Shepard out of it, but Ashley stopped him. "It's too dangerous, don't touch her," she said. They could only sit there and watch as their commander hung in the air, not knowing what the beacon was doing to her. They looked to the beacon and saw sparks emanating from within it, and finally exploding sending the commander flying several feet from the blast. Kaidan ran over to her, and seeing that she was out cold and body twitching. He saw the Normandy come in for landing, and picked up Shepard in a fireman's carry, and hurried off to the loading ramp, hoping Doctor Chakwas would know how to help her.

* * *

_Death, destruction, chaos. People running, screaming, dying left and right._

"_Come here girl, Daddy's got a surprise for you," a voice said. The man with the voice grabbed the small girl and brought her into a room, closing the door and a click of a lock._

_More death, screaming, buildings on fire. So much loss, so much death._

"_Get away from here, street trash. We don't give handouts to lowlifes like you, now get lost!" The girl walks away, crying and hungry. She hasn't eaten for two days._

_Machines now, a bone chilling growl coming out of it. A word was appearing, though more a feeling. Reapers._

"_That's all you are, Shepard. A killer, that's all you're good for and that's all we needed you for. You're just gutter trash!"_

_More images. Ashen bodies litter the streets, crumbled buildings, signs of agony and despair. The smell of burnt flesh, blood red skies, and a sense of dread were overwhelming._

"_Please, please let me go! I promise I'll never do nobody harm again!"_

_Death._

"_No." A brilliant fire erupts now, and more screams._

_More machines, and killing. Tearing through people as if they were mere paper._

"_Zoe, did I hear that order right?" a female voice asked._

"_Yes."_

_A faint cry is heard. "Yes.. m-ma'am."_

"_I'm sorry, Amy."_

_The woman turns away, and screams are heard again. Blood, gallons and gallons of blood are now filling her vision, she feels like she is drowning. 'Butcher of Torfan' or 'murderer' are titles being thrown at her, but she doesn't care. _

_All she hears is the one sound that haunts her._

"_We're being overrun, we nee-" the voice is cut off._

_Bang. Silence._


	10. Chapter 4: Lesson Learned

**A/N****:** _Thanks again to owel for looking this over. Hope you guys enjoy it!_

* * *

Shepard's head was reeling, slowly waking up from whatever sleep she had been in. She tried to open her eyes, but quickly groaned and shut the again as she was blinded by sterile white lights above her. She repeated this process a couple of times before she was able to keep her eyes cracked open, then slowly raised herself to a sit. As she sat up, she heard a voice calling to someone else in the room.

"Doctor? Doctor Chakwas! I think she's waking up." The voice was coming from Kaidan, she wondered why he was here. Last thing she remembers is radioing the Normandy to pickup the beacon.

She swept her legs over the side of the bed, trying to figure out what had happened, when it all came back in a rush. Kaidan being pulled in by the beacon, her shoving him out of the way, the pain in her head as the beacon pulled her in, and the visions that somehow got tangled in with _other_ things she'd tried to forget.

"You had us worried there, commander. How are you feeling?" Chakwas asked.

"Like shit." That was an understatement, but Chakwas was good and already knew how much pain she was in. "How long was I out?" she asked.

"A little over fifteen hours, commander. Something happened with the beacon, apparently it exploded and knocked you out cold."

She certainly didn't feel like she was under for fifteen hours, she was tired but brushed it to the back of her mind. "Yea, we introduced ourselves. Thing has a hell of a handshake." She was joking around with the doctor, but in all honesty she was disturbed by the things she saw. The amount of death she saw wasn't ordinary, but she couldn't make sense of what the visions burned into her mind. She worsened her headache every time she tried to replay it.

She was brought back from her thoughts by Kaidan speaking up. "It was my fault, commander," he said, "I'm so-"

She cut him off right there. "You finish that sentence Alenko and I'll give you something to be sorry about. You had no way of knowing what that beacon would do, don't apologize for something you can't control. I made a conscious decision to knock you out of the way, and that's the end of the discussion on that matter." She hated the whole cliché of apologizing for someone getting you out of the fire and receiving burns in the process, she just wanted people to shut up and learn from it.

Kaidan frowned a second, before smiling. "Right, ma'am." He was mystified by the woman in front of him, a puzzle he couldn't figure out. He did feel guilty over the whole ordeal, though. Ever since a child he'd been raised that the man takes care of the woman, helps her out when she's in trouble, not the other way around. _Shepard's no ordinary woman_, he told himself, and went back to silently observing the situation.

"Well, unfortunately we'll never get a chance to know why it acted the way it did. It was completely destroyed in the explosion. Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams carried you back here. We're currently en route to the Citadel, last I heard." Chakwas could tell that Shepard was getting impatient and turned to Kaidan. "Lieutentant, could you please excuse the commander and I? I need to discuss some things in private."

Kaidan took another glance at Shepard, making sure she was alright, then turned and strode out. He thought about what the doctor had said to him while Shepard was asleep. "_You're chasing your tail going after that one, I'm afraid Lieutenant." _He had questioned her about what she meant by that, but her only response was, _"Just call it woman's intuition."_ Kaidan didn't believe her, they had both known her the same amount of time and he refused to believe she had a better read on her than he did. He would find his own time to go that direction with Shepard, he just needed to play it cool for now. With that thought, he'd decided to try and talk to her once she was out of the medbay, so he exited the door and promptly found a seat in the mess and began passing the time.

After Kaidan had left, Chakwas turned to Shepard and gave a faint smile. "He never left your side, you know," she stated. "He felt all torn up about it, really. Carried you in here himself."

"Did he, now?" she asked rhetorically. "I'll make sure to thank him later. Now, you wanted to speak to me privately?"

Chakwas stopped fidgeting with lab equipment and walked over. "Yes, sorry for the distraction commander. I wanted to talk to you alone, because I picked up some unusual brain activity while you were unconscious." She grabbed a chart and gave it to the commander, though she knew she would hardly understand what was on there. She just figured the commander would appreciate having something to look at. "Your beta waves were unusual, and your REM was extremely high, almost as if you were having severely intense dreams."

Shepard glanced at the chart for a minute, looking over the various notes and scribbles on it, before setting it aside. She put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, trying again to remember the visions she had seen, which only produced a heavier headache. "I'm... not sure exactly what I saw. Death and destruction seemed to be the highlights of it, it wasn't really clear."

Chakwas put her hand to her chin, rubbing it before she replied. "Interesting. I'll add it to my report." Just as she said that, the medbay door opened and Captain Anderson strolled in, a stern expression on his face. "Oh! Captain Anderson, I was just getting ready to notify you Shepard had woken up."

Anderson gave a slight nod, then looked at Shepard. "How you holding up, Shepard?"

"Feel like shit, probably look like it too, so I'm good I guess," she replied. She liked having Anderson around, but the stern look on his face let her know he wasn't too happy.

"Good to hear," he replied curtly. "Doctor Chakwas, could you please excuse us? I need to talk to her in private."

Doctor Chakwas nodded, then promptly left the medbay, just leaving Anderson and Shepard.

"From what I hear the explosion hit you pretty hard, sure you're ok Shepard?"

Shepard gave a small laugh. "I'm just fine and peachy, Anderson. A kid died on my watch, the damn geth decide to end their two hundred year hiatus to ruin my day, Nihlus ends up dead, and I got mind raped by an ancient alien artifact. So yea, just fine and peachy for me."

Anderson gave a small frown, knowing that Shepard was beating herself up over the mission. She always tended to put everything on herself, learning from her mistakes but refusing to believe there wasn't something she could have done to prevent it. "Jenkins will be missed, I've already notified the family." He knew better than to say she couldn't have done anything to save him from the geth, it would be a futile attempt.

Shepard was grateful that she wouldn't have to do it, even though part of her felt it was her responsibility to do so. She then thought of Williams, and wondered what happened to her. "What about Chief Williams, sir? She's a hell of a soldier, and I want her aboard as part of my ground team."

Anderson gave her a grin. "Already done, Shepard. I got some of the mission details from Alenko and he outlined how Williams performed. She's all yours."

Shepard was pleased with this, and made a note to go over her service record when she got the chance. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, sir."

Anderson gave a brief smile, before his expression turned stern again. "I won't lie, Shepard, this is bad. Like you said, Nihlus is dead and the beacon is destroyed. Not to mention the geth have now invaded. The Council won't like this."

Shepard frowned. "We're going to the Citadel to talk to them? I can already see where that's going to go." Politics. Shepard hated the term, and everything associated with it. It was a game of shadows and talking, one that Shepard refused to partake in.

Anderson gave a knowing look, then started to pace around. "I'm behind you all the way, you already know that. What you did down there, that was damn impressive. However, I'm worried about the other turian that Alenko mentioned in his brief to me, _Saren_." The name was said with disgust, something that Shepard picked up on. "He's a SPECTRE, the best. If what I'm hearing is true, however, he's gone rogue by working with the geth. That's very dangerous, especially since he hates humanity."

"Well I can tell you he was there for the beacon, and didn't want it known he was there. He tried to blow up the colony with several bombs we had to diffuse," Shepard said. She knew a rogue SPECTRE was bad news, and one that was interfering in her missions made her pissed off. "I did manage to get a _lovely_ vision from the beacon though, Saren probably saw the same thing."

"Vision?" Anderson questioned, now intrigued. "What kind of vision?"

"Hell if I know," Shepard said as she leaned back into the medical bed and closed her eyes. "I saw death and destruction, slaughter being handed out by some form of machines. Could be geth, but I'm not sure."

Anderson suddenly got very animated, seeming to spring in to action. "We need to bring this to the Council, Shepard."

Shepard started laughing at what Anderson suggested, knowing the futility of it. "And say what exactly? Oh poor Commander Shepard had a bad dream about scary monsters in the night, please give us an army and go after Saren, pretty please?"

Anderson laughed at how ridiculous it would sound telling the Council about a vision, and agreed. "Alright, we won't tell the Council about your vision. I still think we should tell them about the beacon and that Saren used it. God only knows what information is stored in there, maybe you only got part of it. We prove that Saren has gone rogue, get the Council on our side, and we can hunt him down and stop his madness."

Shepard straightened and saluted her captain. "Understood, sir!"

Anderson returned the salute and walked toward the medbay door, pausing and looking back over his shoulder. "And Zoe, try not to be such a smartass with your commanding officer," he said with a grin. He used her first name to let her know he was joking, though he was the only one she really permitted to use her first name.

Shepard gave a bigger grin back, and gave a lazy salute. "Yes sir, daddy sir!" she joked. She looked up to Anderson a great deal, and considered him a father to her. However, she would only call him 'daddy' when she was playing around with him or felt that he was parenting her. It was a fun little thing they had that they had kept to themselves, only doing so when alone. He gave a laugh, and with that he exited the medbay, Doctor Chakwas entering after his exit.

"Well, he certainly seems to have lightened up," Chakwas commented as she entered. "Well, you're all fit to go commander. I would have you stay and try and catch a few hours of sleep, but you seem the type that's going to ignore most of my advice after I've cleared you anyways," she said in a joking manner.

"You know me so well, Doctor. I actually will listen to the sleep recommendation though, I just have a couple of things I need to take care of first." She was tired, but didn't really feel like sleeping at all. She did need to take care of some things. She looked back at the doctor, and her expression was a telling smile, she knew that Shepard wouldn't be getting any sleep for many more hours. Shepard stood up, stretched her back and neck out to relieve some of the tension, and strode out the medbay door.

* * *

She exited the medbay and out to the mess, intending to find Kaidan, when she saw him sitting at the table closest to the medbay, apparently waiting on her to finish up in there. He looked like he was lost in thought, so she strode over and began to talk. "Off duty, Alenko?" she asked neutrally.

Kaidan snapped out of it, sitting up and looking at her. Recognizing her face, he stood up, offering a salute. "Yes ma'am, Anderson said I was off duty until we get the Citadel if I wanted to. I doubt I'll stay off duty that long, but I'll take some time to unwind."

"Good, you deserve it," she replied, "I hear thanks are in order, actually. You carried me out of there after the blast, so uh.. thanks for that." She wasn't good at this kind of thing, mingling. However, she had always made it a point to at least get to know who she was working with.

Kaidan blushed a little, though Shepard didn't notice. "I...uh... it was nothing, commander. I should thank you, for getting my head back in the game after Jenkins' death."

"Like you said, it was nothing, Alenko," she said. "Anyways, I just wanted to thank you. I'll see you around." She headed off towards the elevator, leaving Kaidan to return to his thoughts, and pressed the button to go down. She didn't have any problem talking to people, but she had found that when she would talk with people who served under or with her, she could only talk for short periods before getting stressed out and needing to leave.

The elevator door opened, and she saw Ashley standing over a workbench, and what looks to be a rifle taken apart on top of it. She walked over to the bench, and struck up a conversation. "Glad to see you've settled in, Williams."

Williams wheeled around and threw up a salute. "Yes ma'am. Glad to see you're better as well. The crew seemed pretty torn up about the soldier, Jenkins, that died. Knowing you're back up and on your feet should be a morale boost, ma'am. I feel guilty though, that I wouldn't be here if he hadn't died." Williams cast her glance to the ground, hoping the commander also didn't know about her family. This was her first space assignment, first non-shit assignment, she didn't want anything to mess this up.

Shepard looked at the woman in front of her. She was a good looking woman, though not to Shepard's taste. She had strong facial features, and had an overall aura of power about her. Shepard respected that, and found a sort of bond to the woman through that. She reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, a slightly concerned look on her face, as she spoke. "Jenkins was a stupid kid that was too eager to get into action. If he hadn't died here, he would have died someplace else." She still blamed herself for Jenkins' death, but wouldn't let Ashley pity herself for her situation. "You are a damned fine soldier, Williams, and I would have had you transferred here even IF Jenkins survived, is that understood?"

Williams perked up at that, not expecting what she had just been told, and gave a nod. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."

"How are you holding up? Losing your entire unit isn't an easy thing, trust me I've been there." Shepard knew exactly what this woman was going through, she didn't wish that on anyone.

"I'm... managing, ma'am. It's hard to believe they're all gone, but I promise I won't let it affect my performance." Ashley tried to put on a smile, but only managed a faint one. The loss of her unit and friends was weighing heavily on her.

Shepard gave a sympathetic look, before retreating into her more professional state. "Just take the time you need Williams. We're headed to the Citadel to speak to the Council, and I'll be bringing Alenko and yourself with me. Until then, just make yourself at home and take some time to heal. That's an order."

Ashley saluted, giving an appreciative smile this time. "Yes, ma'am. I will."

Shepard returned the salute, the strode back to the elevator, taking it back up.

* * *

Shepard had one last thing to take care of before she turned in for the night, and headed for the bathroom. It was late and most of the crew were sleeping, so she knew there wasn't much risk of being caught. Still, she entered the bathroom and locked it behind her, privileges of being the XO of a ship. She grabbed a couple of paper towels from a dispenser on the wall, and dampened them before setting them aside. She sat down on the cover of the toilet, then reached down and pulled out her combat knife. She looked at the knife for a second, before putting it next to the paper towels on the counter.

She then undid the fastenings to her pants, and pulled them down, revealing her elegant legs, marred only by series of scars etched across both of her legs. She sat back down, looking at the two longest scars which were on her right leg, tracing her finger over them with a sad sigh before she turned back to the knife and grabbed it.

_Stupid fucking kid couldn't listen to orders_. _Should have known better than to let him take the lead, no matter his familiarity with the area._

She looked at her legs, and found a spot where there wasn't a scar, and slowly brought the knife down to the spot. She paused for a moment, before she pressed down onto the knife, causing it to puncture her skin, blood instantly seeping out. She dragged the knife a little further, no more than half an inch, before she lifted the knife and threw it in the sink, reaching for the paper towels she had dampened. She began cleaning up the blood, sitting there for several minutes with pressure on her wound, until the bleeding subsided. She grabbed a small bit of medigel from the small dispenser on the wall, and dabbed it on the wound, sealing it up.

She pulled up her pants, redoing the fastenings, before turning on the sink and rinsing the knife of her blood. She dried it off with a couple more paper towels, before sliding it back into its sheath at her boot. The paper towels were thrown into the trash disposal on the wall, and Shepard walked back to the sink. She cupped some water in her hands and splashed her face, the coolness of the water helping her feel somewhat cleansed. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, staring at herself. After a few moments, she stood up and exited the bathroom, heading to her quarters to finally catch some sleep. She kicked off her boots, then plopped down onto her bed. She took off her omni-tool, and set it on the empty nightstand next to the bed. She laid her head back onto the pillow, and closed her eyes, welcoming sleep finally.

_Lesson learned,_ she thought as she drifted off into a deep slumber.


	11. Chapter 5: Politics

**A/N:** _Thanks to all of you who have followed/favorited/reviewed this fic. It really makes me happy to know that you guys are enjoying this fic. _

_I apologize for the delay in uploading, American holidays and other setbacks made getting this chapter out much later than I wanted._

_Special thanks to Rae D. Magdon for helping clean up this chapter._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

The Normandy finished it's jump through the relay just as Shepard and Ashley arrived at the cockpit. Neither had been to the Citadel before, so this was a new experience for both of them. They marveled at the size of the construct, and the beauty of the nebula surrounding it. As they cleared the cloudy nebula and approached the Citadel, the Destiny Ascension caught their eye. They talked about the size of the massive warship, outclassing anything the Alliance had in its arsenal, and just the presence it gave off. Shepard was smiling at the banter and wonder, but found herself confused. She had never really connected with people, preferring to keep them at a distance, and wondered why she was acting like this. She chalked it up to being excited to visit the Citadel for the first time, even if she didn't like the reason she was there.

After the Normandy docked, Captain Anderson arrived with Kaidan and let Ashley know she would be accompanying them to the human embassy to meet with Ambassador Udina. As soon as docking procedures finished, the four of them promptly exited the Normandy and took the elevator down. Once the elevator doors opened, Anderson led them over to a rapid-transit terminal and they took off towards the Presidium. The trip didn't take long, and they all exited the sky-car once it landed.

While Anderson and Kaidan kept walking, Shepard and Ashley stood there in amazement. The Presidium was elegant and gorgeous, teeming with life. There were many different plants and trees, and miniature lakes with crystal blue water straight out of a vid. The architecture was sleek and graceful, reminding Shepard a little of holos she had seen of asari homeworlds. The various building were spotless and well maintained. In short, this was paradise to Shepard, which made her instantly not trust it.

Their sightseeing was interrupted by Anderson calling for them, and they began walking behind him. Shepard looked over to Ashley, who was still looking everything over, but had an uneasy aura about her. Although she already had an idea of what was going on, Shepard decided to talk to her. "First time around aliens, Williams?" she asked.

Ashley nodded, then ducked her head down a little. "Yes, ma'am. Haven't had many opportunities with the assignments the Alliance has handed me. What about you, ma'am? You don't seem uncomfortable at all."

Shepard hadn't noticed until then that Ashley had been walking rather close to her. She looked over to Anderson to see that he was talking with the receptionist trying to get a hold of Udina. Shepard took this opportunity to talk to Ashley alone. "I've had some experience with aliens, some good and some bad, but I don't get uneasy around them because they're not human," Shepard said as she stopped in the sitting area outside of the embassies. She looked Ashley in the eyes, and then continued. "I want you to close your eyes, Williams."

Ashley gave her a confused look. "Close my eyes? What for, ma'am?" she asked, not understanding what Shepard wanted.

"Just hear me out Williams," she said. Ashley looked at her a second longer. Then, she nodded and closed her eyes. Shepard let Ashley sit there for a couple of moments, before she started talking again. "What do you hear, Williams?"

"What do you mean, ma'am? What do I hear? I hear noise," Ashley replied.

"I said exactly what I mean. What do you hear, Williams?"

"I don't know. Voices, people talking," she said, shaking her head.

Shepard smiled. "Good, what else do you hear?"

Ashley focused harder, still not knowing what her Commander was getting at. "Uhhh, laughter. I hear people joking around and laughing."

"What else?" Shepard urged.

"Crying, sadness, anger, fighting, all sorts of things. What is the point of this, Shepard?" Ashley was not amused, unable to figure out what Shepard wanted from her.

"Open your eyes and look around, Williams," Shepard stated.

Ashley opened her eyes, blinking them a couple of times to readjust to the artificial lighting. She looked around, and saw all the same aliens she had seen before.

"What you just heard, you usually attribute to humans. What you don't know, is that all the other races have many things in common with us. You look at them, and you see difference, weirdness. I look at them and see people. People who are just living their lives, wanting love, respect, family, happiness. Those are all things I bet that you want, or cherish." Shepard looked at Williams, who was staring at her with a wide-eyed look, realizing how ignorant she had been. "So you see, just because they're different, doesn't mean there's a reason to be uncomfortable. Understand?"

Ashley gave her a quick nod. "Yes, ma'am. I can't say I'll be completely comfortable right away, but it's something I'll be working at."

Shepard gave her a nod and looked past her at Anderson, who was motioning for them to come. "Well, looks like we gotta go play politics now," Shepard said with a sad smile.

Ashley let out an exaggerated groan, fell in line, and walked up to the embassy.

* * *

The group walked into Ambassador Udina's office to the sound of yelling and displeasure. _Great, an angry politician. I think I'm really going to hate this guy_, Shepard thought. Udina stepped away from the vidcom terminal just as the image of the Council faded away, a look of annoyance on his face. He noticed the group in his office, and walked over. "Captain Anderson, was it necessary to bring your whole crew with you?" he asked.

"Just the ground team from Eden Prime," he said, then continued, "Commander Shepard, Lieutenant Alenko, and Gunnery Chief Williams. Williams was part of the unit that was stationed on Eden Prime. She's been transferred to the Normandy and is here to help in any way she can."

"I read the damn mission reports. They are accurate, are they not?" he asked in a mocking tone which Shepard didn't appreciate.

"They are," she said flatly. "You would do well to watch your tone, Ambassador."

"Ahh, Commander Shepard. We've just met, and you've already caused me quite the headache. You may as well forget about your chances of becoming a SpecTRe," he said with disdain. "The main colony torn apart by fighting and explosions, Nihlus ends up dead, and the beacon destroyed, apparently by your hand." The man was treading on thin ice with Shepard, giving him a look that could kill. To his credit, or stupidity, he kept on ranting at her. "It has come to my attention that a member of your crew also died. Such a waste. I knew having the Butch-" he continued until Shepard unceremoniously cut him off, throwing him against the wall.

She had been trying to remain calm and collected, knowing the man in front of her was just an asshole of a politician, but mentioning her infamous title was the final straw. Nobody else in the room moved, leaving Udina pinned by Shepard's forearm against the wall. Udina was shrinking back, hoping he would miraculously pass through it and out of her grasp. He was scared shitless, but found that he couldn't look away from _that_ look, _those_ eyes. Eyes made up of almost pure ice, cold and deadly, making the man regret everything he had said. There was something more in those eyes, though, which terrified him further. Behind the ice, he could see the raging inferno dancing beneath, one that consumed everything and anything in its path. It was a look that sent Udina deathly white.

"The colony was _damaged_ because of an invasion by a hostile force," she began venemously, noticeably different from any tone of voice the others in the room had heard, Anderson aside. "The colony is _only_ damaged due to the efforts of the ground team standing before you. Nihlus is dead because of his insistence on going solo, and was betrayed by a fellow SpecTRe leading the hostile forces. The beacon was damaged before our arrival, and it forcefully activating itself on me was most likely the last straw it could take before being destroyed completely. Corporal Jenkins's death was the result of a poor decision on my part, one I have made sure that I will never repeat, and I accept full responsibility for that."

She paused for a minute to intimidate the politician even more before she continued on her tirade. "That colony is still standing because of the Normandy crew and _myself_. I've been thrust in a position that I neither asked for nor wanted, sent on a mission that went straight to hell before I even set foot on the goddamn colony, and I come here to you with your prissy little politician 'thumb up your ass, nose in another's, my life is so fucking difficult' bullshit attitude, and you insult me personally. I don't know who the fuck you are, or who you think you are, but the next time I see you that attitude of yours had better be fixed, or there will be even bigger problems between the two of us..." She let out a devilish grin. "I might even show you who the 'Butcher' _really _is." The wink she gave sent chills down his spine, and Shepard turned to Anderson. "I've got my omni-tool on me. Contact me when this is all over, I'm done here." And with that, she turned and strode towards the door.

Anderson, knowing how she got when people brought up Torfan and 'The Butcher', understood her outburst, knowing it was worse with what happened on Eden Prime. He gave her a nod and let her go without incident. He saw Kaidan move to try and talk her out of leaving, and instantly knew it was a mistake.

Kaidan walked to the door, intending to block the exit and threw out an arm to stop Shepard. She just walked through it, practically shoving Kaidan to the side with her body. "Fuck off, Alenko," was all she said as she walked out of the door. He looked to Anderson, who gave him a sympathetic look and was shaking his head. "Just let her go, son." Kaidan didn't like it, but did as he was told, slightly confused at Shepard's actions. One minute she was this joking figure staring at the Citadel in awe, and the next, she was cold and ruthless. He didn't know what to make of it all. He cared for her and wanted to help, but Anderson had implied that it would be best if she were left alone.

Anderson walked over to a visibly shaken Udina, who was still curled up on the floor where Shepard left him, and picked him up. After a couple of minutes for Udina to get his head back on straight, they gathered around and began planning for their meeting with the Council.

* * *

Shepard found herself wandering the Presidium in an angry haze, not really caring what she was doing. She eventually came to rest on a bridge that extended over one of the Presidium's many lakes, and Shepard found the spot rather serene and beautiful. Her gazed drifted over the many different plants and colors of the area, before looking down at the lake below. She was enraptured with the deep cerulean blue, finding herself mesmerized by the water. She listened to the sound of the water below, oddly gentle and soothing. Small ripples passed by and she found herself staring, losing track of time and herself, feeling completely relaxed. Slowly, she felt the frustrations from her meeting with Udina and the anger from her blow-up dissipate from her body. It was short lived, however, as she felt someone come up to the railing next to her, much too close for comfort.

"I've always enjoyed the view here," the stranger said.

Shepard looked over to the stranger that dared interrupt her peace. She was a fairly attractive asari, dressed in a long pink dress with sections missing in the stomach and the small of her back. Her skin had more of a purplish tint to it, and her face was adorned by several white markings that made her face really stand out. Shepard was not naïve in the slightest, and could tell when people wanted something for her. Already put off by having her peace disrupted, she was in no mood to play games with the stranger. "Who are you, and why are you here?" she asked bluntly.

The asari smiled at her, completely unfazed by her attitude. "I'm simply enjoying the view," she said.

The double meaning behind the statement was not lost on Shepard. "I'm not in the mood for games. Tell me what you want so I can say no and go back to being alone."

"I'm sorry if I have offended you, Commander Shepard. My name is Nelyna, and I am an acolyte to the Consort," the asari said to her.

Shepard let out a groan, not wanting to deal with anything right now.

"My mistress noticed your arrival on the Citadel, and tasked me with finding you and relaying a message. She would like to meet with you," Nelyna said.

Shepard let out a sarcastic laugh. "Well, I appreciate the invite and your time, Nelyna, but you can tell your 'Consort' that I won't be coming."

Nelyna's smile lowered slightly. "I see. If you decide to change your mind, she is located right over there," she pointed to a location on the opposite side of the Presidium. "She is a great help to many, and she may be able to help you as well, Shepard. It is not often that she requests to see someone, usually they must wait months before visiting her." With that, she walked off towards the Consort's office, and Shepard was once again left to her own devices.

She began to find relaxation in the view again, before being interrupted by her omni-tool, letting her know she had received a message. _Fuck it all to hell, can't I just get ten minutes of peace for myself ?_ She looked at the message, and saw it was from Anderson.

_Shepard,_

_Meeting with the Council in 20 minutes. Be there. Do try and be calmer in front of the Council, and know that I am behind you all the way. I don't think you'll need to worry about any more harassment from Udina, seems you set him straight._

_If you ever want to talk, I'm here._

_Anderson._

Shepard gave a sad sigh before closing the message and walking towards the Council chambers, wishing she had more time to relax at the spot she had found.

* * *

Shepard walked inside the Citadel tower, awed by the sight of it. The Presidum paled in comparison to the grace of the Council Chambers. Plant life adorned the floor space of the vastly expansive room. The sheer amount of distance between the entrance and where the Council stood amazed her, she had never been in a room so big. She walked forward a little, enough to overhear two turian C-Sec agents arguing with each other, the name 'Saren' coming up more than once. The older turian gave what she assumed was a scolding remark to the younger, before turning and exiting the room, leaving the younger looking turian looking dejected. Curious about the mentioning of Saren, Shepard walked up to the turian and tried to find out what happened. "You have questions about Saren too?" she asked, looking at the turian in front of her.

The C-Sec agent turned and faced her before nodding. As recognition dawned upon his face, he stood more rigid and replied. "Commander Shepard, Garrus Vakarian. I am the lead investigator for C-Sec's inquiry into Saren, or I guess the more appropriate way to say it now would be 'was' the lead investigator," he said with frustration. "I needed more time, I was starting to possibly get somewhere, just had to track down a lead or two, but my superiors shut me down. I tried to argue that I could bring him to justice, but that got me a firm reprimand from my commanding officer and my investigation was shut down.

Shepard looked dismayed. "They shut you down?!" She couldn't believe what her ears were hearing. "What a load of bullshit, I knew that the Council's 'investigation' into Saren was a sham. They're protecting him because he's their crown jewel. Fuck!" She realized the turian was still standing there, and took a moment to collect herself before continuing. "What did you turn up in your investigation, Vakarian?"

Garrus let out a defeated sigh. "Nothing concrete, all circumstantial evidence. Financials, travel plans, a couple of odd mistakes here and there, but nothing to prove him guilty of treason." Garrus started pacing back and forth in front of her, obviously letting out more frustration. "I had a lead, one that I was sure was going to lead to evidence that he had done what he was accused of. Now I won't have the chance, I've been shut down and will likely be fired should I continue the investigation on my own." He hung his head low, as if shamed by his failure.

Shepard rubbed her chin, and a wicked grin began to spread her face. "They may have shut you down, but I love nothing more than sticking it to some back room politicians by working around loopholes. Find me after this meeting is over, and we'll go investigate this lead of yours."

Garrus visibly went ecstatic at the offer from the human woman, and flapped his mandibles in approval. "Yes, Commander Shepard. I'm afraid that I'll probably be called away for duty while you are in your meeting, but I will try to find you after I am free." He looked over at the steps up to the Council, and motioned for her to go. "You should get up there, not nice to keep the Councilor's waiting. Then again... being fashionably late has never been a bad thing," he joked, and Shepard let out a snort of agreement.

"You're not half bad, Vakarian. I'll find you after the meeting," she said, and began her ascent up the steps to the Council.

* * *

The meeting with the Council had gone about as badly as she had expected, especially after her encounter with Garrus. The Council dismissed all their claims, and didn't bat an eyelash over the fact that Saren had access to confidential files about his own investigation from the SpecTRe he killed. He lied straight to the Council, and they ate it up, called her incompetent, and determined their accusations amounted to hear-say and a whole lot of bahumbug. She remembered her parting words well.

"_I won't waste my breath with the lot of you anymore. It's quite obvious you're willing to blind yourselves to a harsh truth because of his supposed 'reputation' and the past of those surrounding me. You have attempted to play me for a fool, and that is something you should have never done if you are half as wise as you think you are. I know what you did with your investigation, and you should be ashamed of yourselves for showing such blatant favoritism for such a treasonous bastard. I can see now that you won't see reason on this matter, so all I can do is end this meeting with a 'fuck you, and have a nice day.'_

A smile came to her face as she recalled the shocked faces of the Council and her crew members. She tipped back her bottle of rum in her dark little corner of Flux, and couldn't help but feel happy with herself, even if she knew the last part of her rant was unnecessary. She could not contain her temper sometimes, especially when the world seemed to be working against her. As she sat there trying to drink herself into a stupor, she wondered what her life would be like if she'd had a normal upbringing. She imagined she would be off happy with some other person, married and living a completely blissful dull life. She knew she couldn't have that now, with her reputation, and wasn't sure she was even capable of being in a relationship anymore. So much changed for her after Torfan, and everytime someone brought it up with her, those painful realizations and questions were brought back.

She finished off her rum, and slammed it down to the table joyfully. She felt somewhat refreshed after her little getaway from the Council. She messaged Kaidan and Ashley to meet her at the bar. They were going to find Garrus, when they did, she felt that some major trouble would happen within the Citadel, which only increased her good mood more.


	12. Chapter 6: New Friend

**A/N:** _Thanks to all of you who are supporting this fic, it really means a lot to me. Just a word of warning, my work schedule is really cutting into my will/ability to write these chapters, so I may slow down just a tad bit, but nothing ridiculous like 3 week breaks between chapters. Instead of like 1-2 every week, it may just be once a week. I apologize and I'll try to put out as much as possible, but want to keep the quality up for you guys._

_Again, thanks to Rae D. Magdon for her contributions to this chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

Ashley and Kaidan strolled through the Presidium towards the Wards. Shepard had messaged them to meet her there to begin searching for Garrus, but they figured they would walk to give her some more time to calm down. They were both still in shock from her behavior since meeting Udina. For her to outburst at Udina was one thing, to literally say 'fuck you' to the Council was a whole different matter.

"I just don't understand," Ashley said. "While we were waiting to meet with Udina, she was giving me advice on how to not feel so uncomfortable about aliens, and seemed so... normal and accepting. Then after," Ashley flailed her arms about to express what she was saying, "she blew up and was a whole different person!"

Wanting to defend Shepard and try and make sense of her behavior, Kaidan formulated his own opinion. "Well, from the looks of it she doesn't like politicians at all." Ashley's nod let him know she had come to the same conclusion. "Udina is also an asshole, and all the human's I've met during my times on the Citadel have said that they hate the guy's guts."

Ashley let out a laugh of agreement. "That's an understatement. The guy was a colossal prick from the second we stepped into the room!"

"Then there's the fact that he called her 'The Butcher'," Kaidan replied. "I doubt it's easy for her to carry around that burden all the time, even less so when assholes like him throw it in her face to insult her."

Ashley punched her fist into her open palm in response. "I'm not much one for hitting people who can't fight me back, but I _really_ wanted to hit that guy for bringing that into the mix."

Kaidan couldn't deny he felt the same, save for adding a biotic throw or two in as well. "I don't even know what really happened on Torfan, save for the official reports. Even from those, though, I'd be angry at that reminder everytime it's mentioned. I don't condone her actions, but I can't blame her either." Shepard was an intriguing woman, full of surprises, though Kaidan never shied away from any of them. "Besides, we all have our faults and demons to deal with, no sense in judging her."

Ashley turned her head and gave him a mocking smile as they walked. "Aww, look at you," she teased. "Defending your girlfriend, she'll be swooning when she finds out her brave gladiator was defending her honor." Ashley purposely had changed her voice to a deeper, more masuline tone at the end to enhance the jesting.

Kaidan immediately blushed. "She's not my girlfriend," he said in a sheepish voice. "I'm just saying I'm not going to judge her, is all."

Ashley gave a chuckle. She saw that they had arrived outside of the bar, and decided to end the ribbing she was giving Kaidan. "Whatever you say, LT. Come on, Shepard's waiting inside."

* * *

Shepard was in a jovial mood for the first time since meeting with Udina. Whether it was due to her excitement at possibly bringing Saren down, the mesmerizing atmosphere of the club she was in, the slight buzz she felt after two bottles of her favorite rum, or a combination of them all, she couldn't be sure. She caught sight of Kaidan and Ashley entering, and waved them over to join her. "About time you two showed up!"

The two glanced at each other, looking visibly relieved when they saw that Shepard was in a good mood. Kaidan was the first to speak, looking around the club. "Sorry, ma'am. Decided to take the long way here, figured you could use some time to blow off some steam," he said. He looked at the two rum bottles on the table and gave a surprised smile. "Didn't take you for a rum type of woman, I'm impressed." He ignored Ashley rolling her eyes next to him.

"You'll find there's a lot you don't know about me, Alenko. Now, we need a gameplan for finding Vakarian. Thoughts?" she asked. She silently cursed herself for not getting the turian's Omni-tool contact number.

Ashley said the first and most obvious answer. "Well, C-Sec headquarters couldn't be a bad place to start. He would have to go there eventually, so we could wait for him there."

Kaidan agreed, and added his own insight. "Yea, that would work. We should also walk there and do a quick scan of the Presidium and some of the areas in the Wards to see if he might be working there, agents frequent those areas."

Shepard opened her omni and typed out a message, before looking back up at her squad. "Alright, we'll do that. We'll leave from here and head on over to C-Sec HQ, checking for officers as we pass by." She removed herself from the booth and tossed a credit chit on the table, before continuing. "I just sent a message to Anderson, seeing if he can't track down Vakarian as well. Any questions?"

They shook their heads, following Shepard as she walked out of the bar.

* * *

Their trip to C-Sec HQ turned out to be uneventful, with no sign of Garrus anywhere. A conversation with a C-Seq receptionist had left Shepard less than amused, as they refused to contact Garrus for her, because 'It is not C-Sec policy to interrupt the regular duty of our officers unless it is for a family emergency'. She resisted the urge to tell the turian there to fuck off, instead giving a fake smile and walking away. They had been standing around in the lobby of the HQ, waiting to see if Garrus would stop by, when Shepard's omni blinked that she had received a message. She opened it.

_Shepard,_

_Speak with Harkin. Guy is an ass, but he's worked a couple of jobs with Garrus before. You'll find him in Chora's Den, probably getting drunk._

_Anderson._

Shepard knew Anderson would always pull through for her, and was happy he hadn't proved her wrong. She turned to Ashley and Kaidan, and smiled. "We're heading to Chora's Den. Anderson tipped me off that a guy named Harkin would know where to find Vakarian at." She saw Kaidan give an audible groan of frustration at the mentioning of Harkin's name, and decided to investigate. "Got a problem with Harkin, Alenko?" she asked.

Kaidan let out a snort. "Guy's a colossal prick, a misogynist, and all around piece of shit excuse for a human being. Yeah, I've got a problem with him."

"Good to know," Shepard said. "I have a feeling I won't be having any problems with him, though."

"Maybe you should let me do the talking Shepard. He is _really_ unresponsive to women trying to boss him around," Kaidan warned. "I think I could get the information from him just fine." He didn't want that asshole harassing Shepard or disrespecting her.

"Thank you, Alenko, but this little ol' damsel in distress can take perfect care of herself. Let's go," she said, walking between them and heading towards the rapid transit terminal.

Ashley looked at Kaidan for a second before shaking her head and punching him in the arm with a quick jab, letting him know that was stupid of him to do. The Commander was _not _the average woman, and she had a feeling that this Harkin was in for a rude awakening.

* * *

The group could hear the loud bass of the music before they even set foot on the catwalk to reach Chora's Den. The walkway was pretty weird to Shepard, shaped in the form of a large square with a hole in the middle. She saw two turians leaning up against the wall, and took note of them staring at the group while talking into a comm. She decided it was not worth the risk of walking near a potential threat, so they took the opposite walkway. "Watch the two over there, something isn't right here," Shepard whispered to her squadmates, lowering her hand down to the pistol she kept on her side.

Ashley was walking behind the group, keeping an eye on the two turians, when they crossed the walkway. As soon as they crossed the half-way point, she saw the two of them move for their guns and raise them. Ashley reached for her gun, but before she could pull it out she heard four shots come from her left. She instinctively ducked down, out of the way of fire, Alenko alongside her, and looked to her left. Shepard was standing straight up, and Ashley was about to yell at her to get down, until she realized the shots came from her.

Shepard had shown no hesitation, taking out the two turians with deadly precision. Four shots, two kills. One in the chest, and one in the head for good measure. Shepard casually put the pistol back in her holster, before checking over her squad for injuries.

"Umm, Commander, how did you know they were going to try and kill us?" Ashley questioned. She knew the two turians looked sketchy, but didn't expect them to be anything more than two bar assholes looking to harass people.

"Observation. They were wearing assault rifles and had armor on, and they certainly don't look like bouncers. They were on a comm, and watched our every movement from the moment we entered. Let's go find out who these assholes were." Shepard was privately thanking whatever luck she had for the two turians being dumb or arrogant enough to leave off their helmets. Otherwise it might have led to a serious firefight.

She walked over to the bodies and began searching them for any form of identification. Unsurprisingly, she found none, but she searched through their omni-tools only to come up empty again. She had expected this, and had some clue as to who they were. "They were assassins, and thank fuck for them being piss poor at their job. I can guess who they work for, but I have no way to prove it. Alenko, take pictures of the bodies. Maybe Garrus can help us ID them when we find him."

Kaidan nodded, and took a picture of each of the bodies with his omni, before heading through the doors to Chora's Den with the squad. To say the atmosphere wasn't to his tastes was an understatement. The strong smell of booze and clouds of smoke filled the air, barely clothed asari dancers littered the place, the bartenders wore very revealing clothing, and the guests at the tables and booths were obviously drunk and belligerent. Kaidan wasn't surprised that someone like Harkin spent his time here. It seemed to suit him nicely.

Noticing Kaidan's obvious visual discomfort, Shepard gave him a slap on the shoulder. "Too dirty for you, Alenko? These are the places where people let it all out, where they can truly be alive." Shepard had always admired a lively atmosphere. It was somewhere to get away from everything you were 'supposed' to do, and just _live_ for a few moments.

"Just seems like the scum of the Citadel hang out here is all." Kaidan didn't like being here at all, and preferred to get back to the overall structure and poise of the Presidium.

"_I've_ frequented bars and clubs like this in other parts of the galaxy. Am _I _scum Alenko?" Shepards look was stern, and her tone let him know she was serious. She could identify with the type of crowd here. Some were just castaways that had nothing left to turn to, others had so much crap thrown their way during life they needed an escape, and others just wanted somewhere to get lost in the environment and let themselves be free, all of which Shepard felt.

Sensing he had upset Shepard, Kaidan quickly backtracked. "N-No ma'am. I would never think you were scum. I'm just saying some of these people here aren't exactly shining examples of their species is all." Kaidan quickly winced, knowing what he just said wasn't been any better.

"So quick to judge, Alenko," Shepard said seriously. "Tell me, what is the shining example of a species? How is someone supposed to live and be 'good'? Yes, there are some sorry excuses for living beings out there, but that doesn't mean everyone who hangs out in a shady bar is like them."

Kaidan knew he was in the wrong, and nodded in understanding. He looked through the bar, and after a moment, he found who he was looking for. "Harkin is over at that table, lets go talk to him," he said, nodding his head towards a table by a hallway in the back of the bar. "Are you sure you want to handle it, ma'am? He can be a giant prick to women."

Shepard laughed at that statement. "I've got it Alenko. There's a special way you deal with people like _him_."

Kaidan had no idea what she meant by that, but knew it wasn't going to be pleasant. The idea that Shepard could scare Harkin shitless like she did to Udina set aside all his fears for her dealing with him. He decided to hang back and observe as Shepard did her thing.

Shepard walked over to the table, and began to play her game. "Are you Harkin?" she asked in her most suggestive voice.

The man in front of her was clearly drunk, but instantly responded to her presence. "Who wants to know, sexy ass?"

"Someone who needs some information on finding a friend," she replied sweetly. She hated talking this way, but knew she would like the results of her actions.

"Sorry toots, but the only business I do with bitches is in bed," he said dismissively. "You _do_ look like you'd be a nice ride, though."

Hearing the exchange from a distance made Kaidan's biotics flare slightly, and Ashley's fists were clenched at her side and jaw clenched. They both wanted to tear apart the man before them for talking about Shepard like that, but the smile that was on Shepard's face let them know she was in control.

"I've been told that before," she giggled. "_Maybe_ we can work something out," she said in a suggestive tone that would get many people, male or female, very hot and bothered. She angled her body and leaned over the table, giving the man a better look at what she was working with. The look on the man's face was one of extreme desire and awe. _That's it, piggy. Fall right into my trap_.

"I'm sure we could come to an agreement, why don't you come over here and we can discuss it." He moved his legs out from under the table to sit on the chair sideways, and patted his lap, inviting Shepard over.

Shepard smiled, and strutted her way over to him. Instead of sitting on his lap, however, she reached down and grabbed her combat knife from her ankle and thrust him back against the chair and pinned him against the wall, bringing the knife to his prized area. She now had a playful grin about her, though her eyes betrayed the pain that she wanted to inflict on the man. "Well, this friend is _very_ important to me, and it is essential that I find him."

The man, a credit to his stupidity and drunkenness, scoffed at her. "Fuck off, bitch."

Shepard, not amused, pressed the knife harder into the man's genital region, slightly puncturing the fabric and putting a lot of pressure onto the area.

Harkin, who suddenly looked much more worried and sober, began to stammer. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on! Let's all be calm adults here, no need for anyone to get hurt. Who are you looking for, I'll let you know where they are!"

Shepard always thought it was pathetic how quickly men begged and came to their knees when anyone threatened their precious genitals. "I'm looking for a C-Sec agent, Garrus Vakarian. Where is he?" Her tone was that of no nonsense, and one that promised to drive the knife deeper if she didn't get what she wanted.

Harkin began blurting it out, wanting the knife away from him as soon as possible. "Last I heard he was looking into some quarian that ended up in a med clinic run by Dr. Michel. That's all I know, I swear!"

Shepard gave a pleased smile, and eased the knife away. She carefully placed it back in its sheath around her ankle, and stood back up. Harkin was looking completely relieved, rubbing the area where the knife had been. Shepard faked walking away, before turning around and slamming her fist into the man's jaw, knocking him out. She turned and walked away from his unconscious body, exiting the club and punching in the clinic's destination on a rapid transit terminal.

* * *

"Nice shot, Vakarian," Shepard commented. The group had arrived at the clinic, only to be involved in a gunfight the second they entered. The four men were obviously not professionals, and were easily dispatched without anyone on her team receiving a scratch. "Next time, try to be a little more mindful of hostages." She wasn't upset that Garrus had shot the man holding Dr. Michel at gunpoint, she just wanted to remind him to always be aware of the situation.

Garrus nodded at her, understanding what she was saying. "Thanks Shepard. You weren't half bad yourself," he joked. "How did you know I was here?"

Shepard smiled. "We got some help from your old friend Harkin."

Garrus looked at her quizzically, but decided to shrug it off. "Sorry I didn't find you after the Council meeting. Great job on that, by the way. I've never liked the way they have operated." Shepard could tell Garrus wasn't a 'by the book' type of agent. "I got caught up in a new lead that I couldn't wait to look into, and luckily I stumbled onto Dr. Michel being held hostage by those thugs." Garrus looked over to the doctor, and then suddenly realized his rudeness. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Michel. Are you okay?" he asked.

The doctor nodded her head. "Yes, thank you Garrus. I'm glad you showed up when you did." Her accent was notably Russian, though very understandable. "I assume you wonder why Garrus was here?" The nod from Shepard urged her to continue. "A quarian came into my clinic earlier with a gunshot wound." Dr. Michel started pacing around the room, going over the details with the group in front of her. "She said she had arrived on the Citadel not too long ago with some information about a turian named 'Saren', and that she was attacked. She mentioned talking with Barla Von, a volus Shadow Broker agent who recommended she meet with someone named Fist to make a deal for the information. I told her she should listen to the advice and meet with him, and that's when I discharged her." The doctor put her hand up to her forehead and rubbed it slightly. "After that the thugs, Fist's men, came in and started harassing me. Apparently he wanted the information the quarian had and crossed the Shadow Broker, stupid bastard."

Shepard's look was intent. "Where can we find this Fist?"

Instead of Dr. Michel, it was Garrus that spoke up. "I can help with that, Shepard. The scumbag runs Chora's Den. From the reports I've been hearing, I take it you're already acquainted with the bar."

"Yeah, fun little place. That's where we found the lovely Mr. Harkin lounging around. We should get there and try and find this quarian, she could be our ticket to bringing down Saren." Shepard could see the eagerness on the face of the turian in front of her, and couldn't deny his help would be useful. "What do ya say to taking down Fist with us, Vakarian? You're a damn good shot and seem to know what you're doing."

Garrus formed what Shepard thought looked like a smile, albeit a very awkward one. "Well, I _am _the best shot here, so I think I may be able to carry the lot of you through this," Garrus joked. Shepard couldn't deny that she liked the turian's attitude and personality. "Before we do, though, there's a certain someone who I know will be _very_ interested in bringing down Fist. He tends to like making things go, _boom_."

Knowing what type of person Garrus was talking about, Shepard couldn't suppress a devilish grin on her face as she gave Garrus an approving slap on the shoulder.


	13. Chapter 7: A SpecTre named Shepard

**A/N:** _Sorry this took so long to get out, work left me wiped out and I struggled writing this one. Hopefully the next chapter will have me more motivated ;) Some things may not be strictly canon at the end of the chapter. Thanks again to Rae for her contributions. Anyways, enjoy!_

* * *

"I will kill Fist," Shepard heard the krogan before her speak. Garrus had told her about the krogan bounty hunter, Wrex. Apparently, he worked for the Shadow Broker, but also had a contract on Fist's life, and Shepard saw an opportunity to make an ally. She knew the reputation that krogans had as warriors, even more so the battlemasters. The group set out to find him, and their quest had not taken long at all.

"Do you _want_ me to arrest you, Wrex?" The human C-Sec officer tried to sound strong with conviction, but it was quite obvious that the man wanted nothing to do with Wrex in an actual struggle.

Wrex let out a roar of laughter, before stepping closer to the officer. "I wan't to see you try, whelp." He leaned in close to the human and growled before giving a sneering smirk and walking off in Shepard's direction. He noticed her in his way, and could tell she was no ordinary human. He found himself intrigued, though annoyed due to the pyjak C-Sec officers trying to stop him from completing his job. "Out of my way, human, I have no quarrel with you."

Shepard made no effort to move. "Sounds to me like C-Sec is doing its best to annoy the hell out of you, Wrex," she said in a casual manner. She wasn't at all frightened by the krogan.

Wrex narrowed his eyes at Shepard, surprised at her reaction. She hadn't moved in fear after he told her to get out of his way, hadn't acted intimidated at all, and knew his name. "Bah, they're just baby pyjacks trying to slow me down from doing my job." Wrex looked behind her to see three people waiting just out of earshot, and he recognized one of them immediately. "I see you've brought Garrrus along, I suppose you want to be the next one to try and keep me from earning my credits?"

Shepard only half looked back at Garrus, before shaking her head no. "Why would I do that? I've always said never get between a krogan and their credits. Besides, I think we might be able to help each other." Shepard was displaying nothing but confidence, and even though her squad couldn't hear what she was saying, they were a little shocked at how well she was handling the krogan in front of her.

"Then you are a smart human," Wrex chuckled. "What makes you think I'd help you?" Wrex was dumbfounded that this human thought she would be of any use to _him_.

A small smile flashed across Shepard's face. "Name's Shepard, by the way. I heard you've got a contract on Fist's head, and I have found myself in need of getting to Fist."

"What would I get in return, Shepard, for carrying you to Fist?" Wrex was wondering what this human wanted with Fist, and if she would try to stop him from carrying out his job or not.

"The thrill of a good fight getting to Fist, and some credits. Many more good fights to come too, should you stick around. That is... if you think you can keep up with _me_." Shepard said in a challenging tone, knowing exactly how to motivate a krogan. Many would call her insane for thinking that she could keep pace with a krogan battlemaster, but Shepard didn't back down from a challenge.

Wrex gave a hearty laugh, clearly amused by Shepard. "I like you, Shepard! My people have an old saying, 'Find the enemy of your enemy, and you have found a friend'. I'll fight with you to get to Fist." Wrex stuck out his hand, trying to follow the human custom he had come to like, and added in a gravely tone, "But I will kill him."

Shepard grabbed his hand. Instead of shaking it in the usual way, however, she pulled him closer and slammed her forehead into his, headbutting him. There was a loud _thud_, and Shepard stepped back, her forehead bleeding a little bit. "By all means, he's yours after we get the information we need." She glanced back at her crew, who was standing there slack jawed at what she had just done, including Garrus.

Wrex had a full-blown smile on his face now. "You've got quite the quad on you, Shepard. Let's go pay Fist a visit, and I'll show you how a _real_ krogan fights."

Shepard accepted his challenge instantly. "Just try to put the stragglers out of their misery when you're following me through." There was something about Wrex that Shepard just liked, and connected with. She normally didn't act like this with people, but Wrex felt different, and she felt it with Ashley too. She preferred to keep people at a distance, but she felt instantly close to those two the moment she met them. She pushed those issues to the back of her mind. She would work them out later. For now, she had a quarian to find and a bar to raid.

* * *

It didn't take long before the squad found themselves outside of Chora's Den, though noticeably more protected and empty. Instead of patrons and bouncers, mercs and soldiers stood in their places. Shepard guessed word had gotten out that Wrex was coming for Fist, and Fist had hired some help to deal with him. A _lot_ of help. Shepard looked over to the towering krogan. "Looks like our friend doesn't take kindly to you, Wrex." Shepard had already counted 20, and that was just what she could see.

"Heh, these pyjaks won't be a problem. I'll barely feel the tickle against my armor." Wrex was itching for the battle to come, flaring his biotics a bit.

Shepard pulled out her shotgun, then shot a playful look at Wrex. "Bet I get more kills than you, Wrex." Her grin was cheery, but her tone let him know she was serious.

Wrex chuckled. "You're on Shepard. Don't let my tail hit your head while you're ducking for cover."

"Only if you don't get upset that mine is bigger than yours," she teased. Both of them laughed at that, and took up positions to get ready to enter Chora's Den, two warrior spirits about to wreak havoc on those located inside.

Ashley, Kaidan, and Garrus just looked at each other bewildered at the banter. On one hand, they all seriously doubted that Shepard could ever outmatch Wrex in a kill count, no matter how skilled she was. They also found it strange that Wrex was being so nice towards Shepard. Krogan weren't really known for their friendliness. Nevertheless, the three of them took up formation behind Shepard and Wrex.

Shepard looked back at her team to give instructions. "Alright, we'll enter on my mark. Alenko, I want you throwing up barriers and taking out some of the perimeter shooters. Williams, stick with Alenko and provide covering fire, then try to push up the left. Vakarian, you're a damn good shot so I want you picking off people from cover. They'll probably have people on the platform above the bar, so take them out first." She nodded over to Wrex. "Wrex and I will lead the charge, clearing out the majority of them. Understood?"

Everyone nodded their heads, and Shepard began her count. Shepard checked her shotgun, a habit she had picked up from being a marine. Kaidan and Wrex had biotics sparking off their fingertips, just waiting to be used. Ashley was readying her assault rifle, while Garrus pulled out his sniper. The second that she gave the signal, she and Wrex charged into the bar and began their carnage.

Shepard entered the door, immediately letting off two shots at the mercs and catching them off guard, ending their lives instantly. She saw a warp field appear, followed immediately by a throw from Kaidan, taking out another group of mercs. Shepard saw Wrex mowing down a third group off to the right, and decided to spur into action herself. Double checking her shields, she leapt from cover, raising her shotgun and firing off shots at hostiles behind the bar, taking out four before her shields gave and her thermal clip overheated. She ducked back down into cover and popped in another clip, letting her shields recharge.

"Four already Shepard. You'll never beat me cowering like a baby pyjak!" Wrex was clearly having fun, throwing biotic blasts and hearing the boom from his shotgun.

Shepard admired his fighting style, and could see why battlemasters were feared on the battlefield. A smile spread across Shepard's face while she waited for her shields to come back. "You're slackin' off big guy! I got six over here! I thought you were krogan, not a salarian!" She enjoyed hearing a growl of defeat, coupled with determination to beat Shepard in their little game.

Shepard laughed to herself before refocusing, taking out two more enemies and looking around to check how the rest of the squad was doing. Garrus had already dealt with the guards on the high-rise platform, and was keeping a second group of guards pinned down. Kaidan and Ashley were working well together, Kaidan throwing singularity fields out and Ashley mowing them down with her assault rifle. Wrex was slaughtering a group of mercs that were pinned down, having way too much fun in battle.

Shepard looked around, and noticed that most of the guards were already taken care of. Only a few remained. Shepard ran out of her cover once more and charged at the last remaining group, blasting her shotgun at them while moving from cover to cover. She stopped her approach just before reaching the guards, and pulled a grenade from her belt. She primed it, then hurled it at the center of the mercs, taking cover just outside of a hallway. Their reaction times weren't fast enough, and the grenade detonated and shredded them with shrapnel. Shepard cautiously got out of her cover and approached, using her shotgun to end the misery of those who survived the blast.

Shepard peered into a hallway, and was surprised to see two unarmored workers holding pistols at her. She heard Wrex come up behind her, and heard him laugh at the thought that the two guys in front of them could be a threat. "Drop your guns or we'll shoot," the closest man tried to say in an authoritative voice.

Shepard's only response was to raise her shotgun and fire a warning shot above their heads. That was all the motivation the two workers needed to drop their guns and high tail it out of the club. Shepard walked over to a nearby crate and sat down, placing her shotgun across her lap. "Take five everyone, get some energy back. Who the hell knows what's waiting for us on the other side of those doors," Shepard said to her team.

"Would've been easier to kill those two cowards," Wrex said.

"They clearly weren't mercs or soldiers, they looked like some dock workers. They were never a threat to us," she replied.

Wrex just shrugged. Then a smile crept onto his face. "I got eighteen Shepard, what's your losing score?"

Shepard went over the fight in her head, tallying up the kills she had gotten. "Well Wrex, looks like we're even today, I count eighteen as well." She was smiling at the sudden deflation of the krogan's prideful smirk. He was about to speak, but Shepard intervened. "And no, killing Fist doesn't count."

"Bah!" Wrex shouted. "You got lucky this time, Shepard. You're okay for a human, I guess."

"Thank you for the compliment, Wrex. Maybe I'll _let_ you win next time." She enjoyed the banter between the krogan and herself, a kindred spirit to her. She looked over at Kaidan, before pulling out an energy bar from a compartment on her suit and tossed it over to him. He smiled in appreciation, and began chowing down on the bar. Her gaze drifted over to Ashley, who gave her a nod of readiness. Garrus had already taken up position by the door, his assault rifle in his hands. Shepard took up her place by the door as well, and the others followed suite.

As soon as Garrus hacked open the door, Shepard entered the room. A quick scan showed no other exits, only a large desk with a man hiding behind it, probably Fist. She heard a noise coming from the corners of the room and saw two turrets pop open, the whine of their guns warming up to shoot. "Fuck!" she yelled as she immediately turned around and tackled her team backwards through the doorway just as the spot she was standing at was littered with turret fire.

"That was close, Commander. You okay?" asked Kaidan.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Fucker has _turrets_ to keep him safe. Damn I hate this guy," Shepard said with venom. She double-checked herself for any bullet holes. Satisfied there were none, she turned to Garrus. "Vakarian, think you could overload those turrets?"

Garrus thought it over for a second, then nodded. "I should be able to, but usually turrets need to be weakened a little before it's really effective." His omni-tool flared to life and he began to ready his overload program.

"Just leave that to me," Shepard said. "Alenko, Williams, you two pin down Fist, but do NOT kill him. We need to find the quarian, and we can't do that if he's dead." She turned to Wrex. "Wrex, unload on those turrets with me and watch your fire. You'll get Fist's head after I'm through with him." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Shepard reached down to her belt and pulled out her last two grenades. She primed them, then bolted into the room. She threw the grenades into the two far corners of the room, then skidded to cover behind a crate and whipped out her assault rifle. Gunfire rained on her position until the detonation of the grenades temporarily halted it. Immediately, Garrus jumped into the room and unleashed his overload programs onto the turrets, Ashley and Kaidan close behind. They peppered Fist's desk with bullets to keep him pinned. Wrex entered and they all focused fire onto the turrets, destroying them in the process.

Having no options left, Fist raised his hands. "All right, all right, I surrender. Don't hurt me please!"

Shepard walked over to him, shipping her assault rifle in the process, and grabbed him by his collar. "Where is the quarian?" she asked bluntly.

"Okay! I'll tell you! Please don't hurt me!" The man was pleading like a baby, and he disgusted Shepard. "I set up a 'meeting' with the Shadow Broker, but they were really Saren's men. You can still get to her if you hurry!"

Shepard brought the man's face closer to hers. "_Where_?" she asked in a growling tone.

"In an alleyway just outside of the club! You can't miss it. I've given you what you want, now let me go!" The man was broken.

Fist was pathetic, giving himself a name like that then acting like a coward. She punched him in the gut and he doubled over. She turned and walked away, giving Wrex a pat on the shoulder. "All yours, big guy."

Wrex gave a throaty laugh. He raised his shotgun and fired twice, ending Fist's life. He gave a snort, then turned around and followed Shepard.

"Come on, we gotta get to that quarian before that deal goes south." They left Chora's Den laying in ruin, running to the alleyway hoping they would make it in time.

* * *

_Oh Keelah, how did I get myself into this mess?_ That was the question Tali had been asking herself since she arrived on the Citadel. She knew the answer of course, but was just lamenting on the trouble that the geth data she had retrieved had brought upon her. She was just happy that Fist had been able to set up a meeting with the Shadow Broker to take the data off her hands. Then, she could be on with her Pilgrimage.

She paced back and forth in a long alleyway where Fist had directed her,, growing impatient from waiting. She heard the doors open and saw a turian and a couple of salarians in full armor following behind, and immediately had a bad feeling.

The turian advanced toward her and began running his hands over her. "Where's the Shadow Broker? Fist said he would be here." Tali was beginning to panic, and was even more on edge by the turian getting a little too close with her.

"He'll be here shortly," the turian man said coyly. "Where's the data?"

_Fist, you backstabbing bosh'tet. _She threw the turian's hand off of her, and backed away. "No way, the deal is off," she said. She reached behind her back for two proximity mines and primed them, just in case. When the turian walked forward reaching for his gun, she threw down the two mines and leapt behind cover. The mines caught most of the salarians, leaving only one or two, but the turian managed to escape the blast unharmed.

"Bitch!" the turian yelled before she heard the sound of gunfire. She ducked down further behind the crate, taking cover until she realized that she wasn't the one being shot at. Confused, she poked her head up to see three humans, a krogan, and another turian in C-Sec armor gunning down her attackers. She was silently thankful that the mysterious group had come to save her, but she was still suspicious of their intentions. She heard the fighting come to a close, and after poking her head out to confirm it, she left her cover. A human woman stepped forward from the group, obviously the leader.

"Are you okay?" the woman asked her.

Tali was still suspicious of the group, but the woman in front of her seemed genuine enough. "I'm fine, thanks to you. If you hadn't shown up, I-I don't know what would have happened." Tali wrung her hands together, a nervous habit of hers. "Why are you here, though?

"We were looking for evidence to present to the Council to prove that a SpecTRe, Saren, is a traitor. With the help of Detective Vakarian back there," the woman turned around and pointed to the turian in the group, "we found out that you possibly had evidence against him. Is this true?"

Tali, still on edge from the previous encounter, reacted defensively. "I-Thank you for saving me from those _bosh'tets _over there, but forgive me if I don't... trust you with m-my secrets." Truth be told, Tali was always a bit nervous around people, especially other races. "I don't even know your name, or who _you _work for."

The woman gave her a warm smile. "I'm Commander Shepard, Systems Alliance. As far as trusting me goes," the woman trailed off her speech. She shifted the shotgun in her hands, which made Tali flinch for a second, before the shotgun was handed to her with the butt of it facing her. Tali took the shotgun from the woman, unsure of what else to do, but the symbolic gesture was not lost on her. "Now you have the power, and I'm at your mercy. I want to bring Saren down, and I'm hoping you can do that for me."

Tali was dumbfounded. Most people _never_ paid attention to quarians, and even less gave away property to them. Tali decided that the woman was trustworthy right then and there, and let her guard down. "Ok, but I would prefer to get out of here before talking any further about this. I've been shot at enough today."

"Excellent," Shepard said. "You'll be safe at the human embassy, so we'll talk there. I didn't catch your name, by the way."

"I am Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," she said. She moved to hand the shotgun back to Shepard. "I also believe that this is yours." Tali was surprised when the woman didn't move to take it back.

"Well, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, I recall giving you a gift, making that beauty there _yours_." Shepard had a slight smile on her face, still making no gesture to take back the gun.

Tali stared at the shotgun– no, _her_ shotgun. She hadn't received a gift from _anyone_ on her Pilgrimage, and felt tears coming to her eyes from the kindness she was being shown. "Thank you, Commander Shepard. I-I don't know what to say."

"Not a problem, Tali. Let's get out of here." Shepard turned to leave, and Tali followed with the rest of the group.

* * *

"Ahh, Commander Shepard, what have we here? A quarian? Is this the reason for the firefights around Chora's Den?" Ambassador Udina was being very careful with his tone and the way he phrased what he was saying. He didn't want another repeat of Shepard's last outburst.

Shepard smiled inwardly, glad that Udina was watching himself around her. "Her name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, and she is about to make your day, so listen closely and be polite. She has evidence that proves Saren knew about and was involved in the attack on Eden Prime."

Udina and Captain Anderson both stood there for a moment in shock before smiles lit up their faces. "Excellent news! I'll call an emergency meeting with the Council immediately." He then scurried over to a vid terminal and began typing away.

Anderson stepped forward, addressing Tali. "I want to thank you for helping us on this, Tali'Zorah. If you don't mind, I'd like to see what you have before we go to the Council with it."

Tali nodded in agreement, and activated her omni-tool. "Of course, I apologize. Give me a second." She fiddled with her omni-tool for a couple of seconds, before an audio recording began.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory, it brought us one step closer to The Conduit."_ There was no doubt that it was Saren's voice, and extremely damning for him.

Anderson immediately focused on one phase from the message. "What the hell is the Conduit? Some weapon of mass destruction?" Anderson didn't like this at all, and didn't like that Saren could potentially have his hands on a weapon he could use to eliminate humanity from the galaxy.

A part of Shepard laughed internally at Anderson always going to the most extreme option, though from what she had seen thus far she wouldn't doubt that it could be a weapon. "There wasn't anything about a Conduit in the vision from the beacon, I have no idea what it might be." She looked to the group standing in the office with her. "Any of you know what 'The Conduit' is?" They all shook their heads.

Udina stepped back from the vid screen, visibly pleased, and walked towards the group. "The Council will see us in one hour. Anderson, you may accompany us but I ask that you remain quiet to prevent the Council from using you against us in this matter." Anderson nodded in agreement, and Udina turned to face the aliens of the group. "The rest of you are free to come as well, you all helped in some way with Shepard's investigation and I'm sure your testimony will help as well." Finally, he turned to Shepard. "I also implore you not to repeat the same behavior you showed at the last Council meeting, no matter the enjoyment I received from seeing you stick it to them."

Shepard gave a laugh, surprised to see Udina wasn't as uptight as she thought he was. "Well, if they repeat _their_ behavior from last time, I can't make any promises."

Udina seemed pleased with that response. "I can agree with that sentiment. Now, if you'll excuse me I have some last minute preparations to take care of before the meeting. I'll meet you in the Council chambers shortly." With that, he left the room, along with Anderson.

Suddenly remembering the pictures she had asked Kaidan to take, Shepard walked over to Garrus. "Vakarian, you think you could ID a couple of thugs we encountered on our first visit to Chora's Den?" Garrus nodded, and Shepard motioned for Kaidan to show him the two photos.

Garrus gave a snarl. "I don't need to run a scan to tell you those are two of Saren's thugs. I've seen the work they've done to other humans, but Saren just pardons them. Glad they got what was coming to them."

Shepard was pleased with herself. "Just one more piece of evidence the Council can't ignore. Alenko, Williams, lets head on over to the Council chambers. Don't want to keep them waiting. The rest of you want to come along?" Tali immediately nodded, followed by Garrus as well. Wrex just shrugged, and started walking with them, leaving the embassy.

* * *

The meeting was just getting started when Shepard and her crew arrived in the Council chambers. Udina was giving the opening overview of what they were about to present when they finished climbing the stairs. The Council looked less than pleased when Shepard took her place alongside Udina.

"Ahh, Commander Shepard. Here to hurl more obscenities at us?" Councilor Sparatus said in an annoyed tone.

Shepard acted quickly, already expecting this kind of reaction. "Councilors, I won't say I regret what I said during our last meeting, because I don't. However, I will say that I should have had a greater control over my temper, and I apologize for that. I'm sure we can all agree that when our species feels threatened by something, we tend to get a little defensive and hostile."

The Council seemed pleased with her statement, Tevos especially, and they began the meeting. Tevos was the one to speak. "Well said, Commander Shepard. Now, you have evidence that proves your accusations against Saren beyond any doubt?"

Shepard nodded. She brought up her omni-tool to show the pictures of Saren's assassins for the Councilors. "Our first piece of evidence is the two assassins you see before you. They are Saren loyalists that tried to kill us upon entering Chora's Den in search for Detective Vakarian."

Udina was surprised at that evidence, as they hadn't discussed it with him while they were in the embassy, but he let Shepard continue on. He was rather pleased with how Shepard was handling the situation, she was more of a politician than she knew. He knew the Council wouldn't accept the evidence as absolute proof, but it did cast a doubt on Saren.

Sparatus was the one to speak this time. "Those two could have acted upon their own accord, you have no evidence that Saren ordered them to attack you."

"Correct, though that wasn't the purpose of this evidence. It was merely to show that Saren had something to hide, and we have that as well." She waved for Tali to come forward. "This is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. She recovered evidence from a geth she had incapacitated, and managed to discover an audio log of Saren."

Taking her cue, Tali opened up her omni and played the recording.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory, it brought us one step closer to The Conduit."_ Saren's voice was clear, and the look on Sparatus's face was priceless.

Shepard was surprised, however, when the recording kept playing.

"_And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."_ She had no idea who the second person was, but the way Tevos flinched at the sound of the voice let her know that the asari councilor knew exactly who was on the recording.

Valern was the first to speak. "This evidence is irrefutable, Saren has betrayed the Council and shall be stripped of rank and title." The Council pressed a couple of buttons on the terminals in front of them to carry out that action.

"What of the second voice, do any of you know who that would be?" Udina asked.

Tevos held her hand to her forehead for a moment, before speaking. "The second person would be Matriach Benezia T'Soni, a very highly respected leader in asari society. That she is working with Saren is... troubling, as is the mention of these 'Reapers'. What do you know of them?"

Shepard was all too familiar with that term from her visions. "During my report on the events surrounding Eden Prime, I mentioned that I interacted with the beacon. What was not put on that report, however, was that I was given a vision of a race of synthetics wiping out the Protheans. I wasn't sure at first, but the visions have become slightly clearer, and I keep hearing 'Reapers' over and over again whenever the vision plays in my head. I believe those machines were Reapers."

Sparatus immediately dismissed her claim. "We do not deal in bad dreams and visions, Commander. Regardless of whatever these 'Reapers' are, Saren has been stopped and holds no power, he will not accomplish his goal."

Udina, clearly wanting more action, immediately spoke up. "You don't know that. You have no idea what he could be doing, the type of danger that could be brought about from this. Send in your fleet!" he exclaimed.

Sparatus was about to speak, but Tevos beat him to the punch. "We cannot send our fleet into the Terminus System and spark a war. It is too dangerous. There _is_ another solution, however." She looked over at the two other Councilors, and Valern nodded his head in agreement. Sparatus was the only one to protest.

"Absolutely not, humanity is not ready for this!" Sparatus said defiantly

"Shepard has proven herself through her actions on Eden Prime, as well as bringing Saren to justice. She has shown all the qualities of being a fine SpecTRe, and this provides a solution where everyone is happy," Tevos said in a calming and rational voice.

Sparatus glowered for a second, before throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. He punched in a sequence on his terminal, the other two doing the same.

"Commander Shepard, step forward please," Tevos ordered.

Shepard stepped forward, knowing what was about to happen.

Word instantly got out that a human was being inducted to the SpecTRe's, and flocks of people gathered around the main garden of the Council chambers. They lined the rails of the balconies, looking over the meeting, whispering and chatting among themselves. Shepard looked back to Anderson who gave her a proud smile, which made her stand taller, and returned her focus to Tevos.

"It is the decision of the Council to admit you to the ranks of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel," spoke Tevos.

Valern picked up from there. "SpecTRes are not trained, but chosen. They are forged in the fires of hardship, and molded through experience. Those whose actions elevate them above rank and file, and have shown a propensity to succeed."

Tevos spoke again. "SpecTRes are an ideal, meant to be a guiding force and resemble the best of the best. They are the right hand to the Council, and enforce our will."

Sparatus finally added to the address. "SpecTRes hold a great burden, expected to uphold galactic peace. They are the first line of defense, and the last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is in their hands."

"You are the first human to join the ranks of the SpecTRes. May you make your species proud and open the door for others to join you as well," Tevos said.

Despite her apprehension in not wanting to join the SpecTRes, Shepard couldn't deny that she had never felt this honored in her life. "Thank you, Councilors. I will do my best to get the job done."

Tevos nodded. "You have been given your task: hunt down Saren and bring him to justice, alive or dead. This meeting is adjourned."

Shepard headed back to the group. Everyone beaming. Udina said some words to Anderson she couldn't make out, and Anderson nodded before going to congratulate Shepard. Udina was right behind him. "I'm proud of you, Shepard. I knew you'd get it done, just like you always do," Anderson said.

Shepard felt a surge of pride from within at his words. "Thank you, sir. I won't let humanity down in this."

"We'll need to get you a ship and crew," Udina said. "Come by my office later. Humanity is very proud of you, Shepard, do right by us." With that, Udina and Anderson left the chambers to return to the embassy, while Shepard received congratulations from the rest of those with her.

* * *

Shepard arrived at the Normandy dock with her squad after receiving a message from Anderson instructiong her to meet him there. She found Udina and Anderson waiting outside of the airlock. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Anderson and Udina looked at each other, before Anderson nodded to Shepard. "You're being given command of the Normandy, effective immediately," Anderson said.

Shepard was stunned at what she had just been told. "Come again, sir?"

It was Udina who spoke this time. "As a SpecTRe, you need your own ship and crew. We were going to commission one through the Alliance, but Anderson offered the Normandy instead."

Anderson nodded. "She's a damn fine ship, has a great crew, and fits everything you'll need for your mission to get Saren. She's also available right here and now, so you don't have to delay your search."

Shepard still couldn't believe what she was being told. "You're giving up command of the Normandy? I don't understand, sir."

Anderson smiled and explained that he was once a candidate to be in the SpecTRes, but his mission went wrong thanks to Saren. He didn't want anything to go wrong for Shepard, and wanted her to have every opportunity to succeed where he had failed. Having the Normandy would give her everything she needed, and a ship like the Normandy was built for missions like this. Anderson explained that this was what he wanted, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Shepard still felt like she was robbing Anderson, but could understand his reasoning. "Thank you for this, Anderson. I'll make you proud, I promise." She gave a picture perfect salute, which was returned by Anderson. She turned to address the squad waiting by her. "Alenko, Williams, go ahead on board. The rest of you, thank you for your help in this. I know I have no right to do so, but would you be willing to come along and help me hunt Saren down?"

Tali was the first to respond. "You have shown me nothing but kindness, and I'd be an embarrassment to the quarian people if I didn't help you. I'm in." She imitated the salute that Shepard gave Anderson, which made Shepard smile.

"Welcome aboard then, Tali'Zorah. Anyone else?" she asked.

Wrex was the next to answer. "Well, its sounds like there's going to be lots of fighting. I'll need to be there to drag your quads out of the fire, I'll go." Wrex didn't even bother to salute, and headed onto the Normandy, drawing a chuckle from Shepard.

Garrus was the last one to reply. "Saren is a traitor to not only the Council, but the Hierarchy as well. It is my duty to bring him down." He gave Shepard a handshake, and boarded the Normandy as well.

She was about to board the ship herself, but Anderson pulled her aside. "Shepard, there's something else," he said. "I got a shipment from Hackett earlier today aboard the Normandy. Some soldier from the 21st century he believes had contact with a Prothean beacon. He's being revived from cryo right now, and is in Dr. Chakwas's care for now. I'll leave it to you to determine if he's helpful or not, just thought you might want him around since you've encountered a beacon as well."

Shepard gave him a very confused look, which only drew a shrug from Anderson. "I'll check it out, though I wonder why it took them this long to do anything about that."

Anderson just shrugged again. "You'll have to speak to Chakwas and Admiral Hackett about that, I only received the shipment. I also received word from Councilor Tevos. It appears that this Matriarch Benezia has a daughter, Liara T'Soni. She's apparently a Prothean expert, so she might be a valuable asset to your search. She's located on Therum, should you choose to look into it."

Shepard nodded, excited to have any leads. "I'll actually head there first, it seems like a good lead," she said. "I still feel like I'm robbing you of the Normandy, Anderson."

Anderson looked her straight in the eyes, showing nothing but pride. "I am doing this for you. You deserve this. I'm getting too old for this stuff anyways. Just go out there and be the soldier and person I know you can be."

Shepard still felt like she didn't deserve this, but nodded her head. "I promise, Anderson." She reached out and gave him a quick hug, before boarding the Normandy and setting course for Therum.


	14. Chapter 8: Therum

**A/N**:_I'm so sorry for the long delay in updating this. It's been really hectic for me lately, and I haven't had lots of time to write. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it! Thanks again to Rae for her contributions to the chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

Shepard walked through the CIC, accepting congratulations on her new position as captain of the Normandy, and headed to the stairs. Once at the bottom, she headed to the med bay to see the mysterious person who was delivered by Hackett. The door slid open, and Shepard had millions of questions on her mind. They were all squashed when she saw a human male clearly unconscious on the lab's beds. She looked over to see Dr. Chakwas sitting at her terminal, typing away on some report or another. Sensing Shepard's presence, Dr. Chakwas closed her terminal and turned to face Shepard.

"Ah, Commander. Come to check on our latest patient?" she asked, motioning to the limp figure on the bed.

Shepard nodded. "Who exactly is this, Doctor?"

Dr. Chakwas gave a frustrated shrug of her shoulders. "I have absolutely no idea. I only know what Anderson told you, he's a soldier from the twenty first century that possibly had contact with a prothean beacon. I have no medical records, no service record, no identification, nothing!" Chakwas moved to grab a chart, and handed it over to Shepard. "The brainwave patterns he's exhibiting match the ones you had after Eden Prime, so it's safe to assume that he did in fact have contact with prothean technology. I have him on a few different medicines to help his brain calm down, and he will be out for quite some time."

Shepard glanced over to the soldier, then back down at the chart Chakwas had given her. "I won't even pretend to know what this chart says, what else have you found out?"

"Well," Chakwas began as she walked over to the med bed. "Physically, he's in peak condition, many soldiers in the Alliance today couldn't hold a candle to him." She raised one of his arms, and pointed to the inside of his elbow. "There are plenty of needle marks on his skin, though I won't presume for what purpose until we can actually question him. He has various levels of scarring throughout his body, with a particularly nasty looking one on his left arm." She raised his left arm and revealed bite marks on his left forearm.

Shepard liked what she was hearing, possibly having another source of information about the visions from the Prothean beacons. "Sounds pretty standard, aside from the needle marks and prothean dreams. Anything else?"

A worried look crossed Chakwas' face. "He also has... eezo nodes on his brain."

That surprised Shepard. "Eezo? I thought we didn't discover that until we found the archives on Mars?"

Chakwas nodded. "As did I. He's not a biotic, the nodes are dormant, but he has been exposed to eezo. Other than that, he seems to have a clean bill of health, but I'll need him awake before I give him the go ahead," Chakwas said. "As I said before, I have very little information on him. Hackett said they are going through old records to try and find him, but that could take some time."

"Understood," Shepard said. "Keep me posted on his condition. We're close to Therum, and I have no idea what we'll find when we get there. Something tells me that we're not the only ones who are looking for Dr. T'Soni."

"Understood, Commander. Do try and come back in one piece this time, my med bay wasn't meant to be your second living quarters," Chakwas joked, giving a small laugh.

Shepard grinned. "And here I thought that you enjoyed my company Doctor," Shepard said, faking offense as she walked to the door.

"Only when you're not dirtying up my med bay!" Chakwas called after her, earning a laugh from Shepard. The door closed, and Chakwas walked back over to the figure on the med bed. "Who are you?"

* * *

Wrex, Garrus, and Ashley all accompanied Shepard in the Mako down to the surface of Therum. Shepard felt that they were going to run into some trouble down on the surface of the lava planet, so she brought her best group of fighters with her.

"I hope you know how to drive this thing, Shepard. I'd rather not die by your driving," Garrus said from the back of the Mako.

"Can it Vakarian. My driving is perfectly fine, and the only ones dying that will be the enemies we face down here." Shepard had always gotten comments about her driving. She had a _unique _driving style, but she wasn't awful. She just preferred getting up close and personal to driving circles around enemies from a distance.

The beginning of their drive to Dr. T'Soni's dig site wasn't that eventful, the only harm being the various lava pits that littered the path they were taking. Shepard didn't like that their drive was so peacefu one bit. To her, peaceful meant danger. Sure enough, they rounded a corner and heard a loud rumble all around them.

"What the hell is that?!" Ashley blurted out.

Shepard looked on the Mako's sensors to see something big passing over them. She slowed down slightly and looked out of the front screen of the Mako. "It's a fucking Geth drop ship! Get ready! Wrex, main gun! Vakarian, turret!" Shepard barked while preparing herself in the drivers seat. The drop ship suddenly stood still for a moment, and two large armatures dropped out and landed on the ground with a thud. The two machines activated and stood up, looking like an odd form of an ancient Earth dinosaur. A large blue glow built up around one of the machine's eyes, and its body looked like it was coiling up. Then, a surge of blue energy erupted from the eye, heading straight for the Mako, narrowly missing as Shepard swerved out of the way.

"Fuck that was close," Shepard said. "Take those fuckers out!" She wasn't happy, but for now she needed to stay back and let Wrex and Garrus hit them with the Mako's guns. She didn't want to find out what would happen to the Mako should one of those energy bolts hit them.

The loud boom of the Mako's main cannon was in perfect harmony with the thrilled laughter of Wrex as he punched holes into the machines attacking them. Shepard was glad that she brought him along for this mission. "Having fun up there, big guy?" she asked as she swerved to avoid another bolt.

Another boom erupted from the canon, hitting the first machine dead in the eye, causing it to explode and crumple up useless to the ground. "Shepard, you know how to treat a krogran right. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to woo me," Wrex joked.

"You wish, big guy," Shepard shot back. A round of fire from the secondary gun of the Mako roared, and caught the remaining machine in the legs, causing it to tilt to one side. The canon boomed once more, and the body of the armature erupted into bits and pieces, earning a victory howl from Garrus and Wrex.

Shepard's good mood lasted for a short minute, before a scowl drew across her face. "If the geth are here, that means Saren's after Dr. T'Soni too. That's _not_ an option." She wasn't about to let such a potential ally and source of information fall into Saren's hands.

"Maybe they're here to pick her up because she's working with them," Ashley chimed in. She had been uneasy about the whole situation since she was informed that Dr. T'Soni was Matriarch Benezia's daughter.

"It's possible, but I don't think it's like that," Shepard replied. "If she were working with them, why would Saren send all these geth?"

"To try and stop us maybe?" Ashley didn't trust this Dr. T'Soni at all. "We still don't know whose side she is on, is all I'm saying."

Shepard could see the concern on Ashley's face. "I understand. For now, we assume she is _not_ working with Saren. If she is, we attempt to take her hostage. She could be a very valuable asset to use against Saren." Shepard wanted every single advantage she could get for her hunt.

"And what if she _is_ working with them, and won't come quietly as a hostage?" Garrus asked. "Asari are very powerful biotics."

Shepard's face turned cold, her tone harsh. "Then I'll kill her myself," she said.

* * *

Resistance on the way to the dig site was fairly heavy, with more of the large armatures backing up various geth troopers. Several had rocket launchers that needed some quick reactions from Shepard to dodge. Eventually they ran into a spot that they couldn't take the Mako and farther, and had to proceed on foot. More snipers, rocket troops, and regular foot soldiers stood in their path. Now, according to the Normandy's computers, they were just outside of the entrance to the dig site. "All right, here's the entrance. Keep sharp everyone, I have a feeling more are inside."

Ashley was hanging towards the rear, watching over the group as Shepard moved forward. She walked forward, scanning the area, and saw a red beam. Alarmed, she looked to its target, threw her rifle aside, and charged at Shepard, tackling her to the ground as a laser shot narrowly missed her. They landed with a thud, while Wrex and Garrus opened fire.

Shepard looked up and saw white frog-like creatures pouncing left and right, hanging off of overhanging metal bars, and climbing up walls. She checked herself to make sure she was ok, then pulled out her assault rifle and began firing at them. She let off a couple of rounds, which missed their mark as the geth stalker vacated the area that it previously occupied. Shepard shot off another volley of bullets only to see one of them graze its armor as it moved positions. "Motherfuckers are hard to hit!" Shepard looked over to Wrex, then got an idea. "Hey, Wrex, think you can hold these jumpy bastards with your biotics?" she hollered over to him.

Wrex's biotics instantly lit up. "Only if we get to go bowling with them later," he said humorously. He eyed one of the stalkers and waited for it to move from it's current position. A burst of fire from Ashley forced it to do just that, and Wrex threw a singularity right at where the geth was going to land, catching it in the field instantly and lifting it up in the air. The group all focused their fire onto the unit and it was quickly dispatched.

"Scratch one!" Garrus yelled, standing behind them with his sniper out. He had been getting glancing blows against the slippery stalker units, but finally managed to nail one through the eye.

It didn't take long for the rest of the group to dispose of the remaining stalker units. With the last one dead, Shepard walked over to Ashley. "Williams, thanks for saving my ass back there. Who knows what kind of damage that thing could have done with that shot," she said. Truthfully, she was pissed at herself for not noticing the attack herself.

Ashley smiled inside her helmet. "It was nothing, ma'am. I just kinda... reacted is all. I'm just gla-" Ashley was interrupted by a deafening crash behind them. She instinctively ducked into cover and readied her weapon. As the dust cleared, Ashley poked her head out and her eyes opened wide as she saw another one of the armature machines pop up. "Geth Armature!" she yelled to her squad mates, unsure if they could see what it was that they were fighting.

Shepard popped out and unloaded a clip on the machine, only to have it send a bolt of energy at her. She attempted to roll out of the way, but didn't get far enough as the blast knocked her a few feet back. She hit the ground with a thud, but quickly tumbled to her knees and moved to the nearest cover. Her HUD was sending off warnings that her shields were down, and she took a look at her shield generator. _Fuck, it's fried_. She pried the generator off and tossed it. "Keep unloading on it, take its shields out!" she ordered her squad, even though they were already doing just that.

Garrus and Wrex were firing off shots next to each other, Wrex supplementing with his biotics and Garrus with overload attacks. Ashley was off to their right, pouring as many bullets from her assault rifle into the armature as she could. Shepard added her fire to the mix just off to Ashley's right. After a good couple of minutes of fighting the thing, it seemed like they had barely made a dent in its shields.

"I don't think we have enough thermals for this beast, Shepard," Garrus hollered, switching cover as another attack from the geth reduced the crate he was behind to scrap.

Shepard knew he was right. The thing didn't even look damaged, and she was starting to run low on thermal clips herself. She reached down to her grenade belt to count how many grenades she had left. She counted two. _It'll have to do_, she thought to herself. "On my mark I want suppressing fire on the armature!" she yelled to her squad, pulling out her two grenades.

"Commander, what the hell are you doing?" Ashley yelled out.

Shepard ignored her, and primed the grenades. _I'm fucking insane for doing this_. "Mark!" she yelled out, and lunged from her cover. She heard surprised yells from her squad, but those were quickly drowned out by the sounds of their guns. She sprinted at the geth armature as fast as she could, zig zagging her was across the distance to avoid getting hit by the machine's attack. She waited until she was almost face to face with it, then jumped up and slapped the two grenades straight onto the eye of the machine, kicking off of it afterward and making a beeline straight for the nearest cover. She had barely made it to her destination when the grenades set off, rupturing the geth's eye and causing it to fall inactive. Shepard was panting, and patted her body to make sure she was still alive. She rested up against her cover for a second, before she was hauled to her feet by a very angry Ashley.

"What the hell, Commander?! You could have gotten yourself killed doing that!" Ashley yelled.

Wrex was the next to join the group, followed by Garrus. "Bah! Shepard's got the biggest quad I've ever seen on a human. That was impressive," Wrex said. Ashley and Garrus gave him a dirty look, and he sighed. "But you probably shouldn't have done that, and blah blah blah."

Shepard laughed. "Thanks, big guy." She turned to Ashley and Garrus. "Yeah, that was stupid to do, but we were going to run out of ammo long before we broke through the thing's shields. I saw an opportunity and took it. Now, gear up and get ready to go in, I'm sure there's more geth waiting for us inside."

Her squad nodded, and followed her to the entrance. Shepard looked back to Wrex. "Wrex, you take point. My shield generator fried during the last fight."

The squad stopped in their tracks. Wrex had a huge grin on his face, while based off the body language of Garrus and Ashley they thought she was literally insane for charing the armature with no shields. "Now for some real fun," Wrex said. "Let's move."

* * *

Just as Shepard had expected, they ran into resistance when they entered the dig site. Not as much as she thought, but still enough to take the squad some time to get through. She disliked having to stay towards the back of the fight with her shield generator gone, but the cavern's close quarters were a deathtrap without them. They quickly took care of the geth inside and continued searching for Dr. T'Soni. "Spread out and look for any signs of Dr. T'Soni. She has to be here somewhere," Shepard ordered. She found an elevator that led down to a lower level, and hopped on it. She looked around at the ruins they found themselves in, and saw some blue energy curtains off to her left. The elevator shuddered a bit, before giving way and crashing down, tossing Shepard out and onto a walkway below. She winced a little as she landed on her shoulder, but shrugged it off and got to her feet.

"_Uhm, hello? Is anyone there?_"

Shepard stopped when she heard the serenely beautiful and gentle voice. She thought she was hearing things, until it called out again.

"_Hello? Can anyone hear me? Please! I'm trapped! Oh, who are you kidding Liara, nobody is going to come and save you."_

Shepard moved towards the sound of the voice at the mentioning of Dr. T'Soni's name. _Why isn't she speaking Galactic, though? _Shepard wondered. She rounded some wreckage, and stopped in her tracks. Before her was the figure of what she assumed was Dr. T'Soni, suspended in a bubble, sweat dripping off of her forehead. _She's absolutely beautiful_. Shepard stood there for a second, stunned by her beauty.

"_Hello, can you hear me?_" Liara asked.

Shepard snapped out of it, shaking her head. "Uhh, are you Doctor Liara T'Soni?" she asked while sending out a message through her omni that Liara was at her location.

"_Are you... real? No, of course not. Why would anyone be here, most of all a human soldier?_" Liara asked.

Shepard took pity on the asari doctor. She had clearly been through a hard time to think that she was hallucinating. Shepard still couldn't get over how beautiful she was, and found herself being shy all the sudden. "My name is uh... Shepard, Alliance N-navy. I'm here to.. uh.. help.. you?" _What the hell is wrong with me!_

"_Ahhh, my hallucinations talk as well. Apparently you're shy to try and set me at ease so I can relate to you and figure out how to get out of this situation," _Liara babbled.

Shepard, suddenly flustered, removed her helmet to try and relieve the heat she was feeling, just as the rest of her crew showed up. "This her?" Wrex asked.

"_Now I _know _I'm hallucinating, there's a krogan and a turian with you! What odd things my mind comes up with,_" Liara said. "_I will say I couldn't have come up with a better protective figure if I was lucid, you are strong and brave, but extremely beautiful as well._"

At that last sentence, Shepard's face went extremely red and her shyness grew even more. _She thinks I'm beautiful? No, she's just saying things, she's hallucinating._

"What is she saying? I can't understand her," Ashley asked.

Suddenly, Shepard remembered that Liara wasn't actually speaking galactic. She was speaking Old Armali, which is where Shepard guessed that she was raised. Shepard shrugged, figuring that Liara was delusional right now and anything she was saying wasn't of any importance. "Dunno. Let's find a way to get through this barrier curtain to get her out, she looks like she's been in there a long time." They all nodded, and began their search.

Shepard turned back to Liara. "Just... hang tight. We'll get you out of there." _Hang tight? Where the hell is she going to go? Stop being stupid Shep!_

"_I was almost convinced there. But you are just a hallucination, and I am talking to myself," _Liara said, giving a faint laugh of frustration. "_I'm going to die here_."

Shepard felt an odd urge to comfort the beautiful asari before her, and tried to sound as reassuring as she possibly could. "_Doc-Liara, we're going to get you out of there, I promise,_" she said in Old Armali.

Shepard's reply in her language drew a confused and surprised look on her face. "_You... you speak Old Armali? Would my hallucinations do that? No, they would be speaking galactic, I don't know of any humans that know any languages from Thessia. That means you must be real! Please, you must help me!_" Liara was thrilled that she was not actually seeing things, and these people were there to save her.

"_Don't worry, we'll find a way,_" she replied, then headed off to find a way past the barrier.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to come up with the idea of the mining laser to cut through a lower level to gain access to Liara's cell. They had a short elevator ride up to the next level, and Shepard went to Liara's side and looked at the control panel. Shepard looked it over, not sure what each of the various buttons did. _Wonder how I get her free_?

Liara was overjoyed that she was actually being saved. "_Thank you so much, I thought I was going to die in here,_" she began, before she realized that Shepard was staring at the control console. _"Oh! The console! That button on the bottom right should release me... I think..._" she said.

Shepard looked at the button. She really hoped that the button released her and didn't harm her. "I really hope this doesn't kill her," she said as she pressed the button. Suddenly, the blue bubble surrounding Liara disappeared, and she started to fall. Shepard acted on reflex, reaching out to catch her and break Liara's fall, and they ended up on the ground with Shepard cradling her in her arms. She could _feel_ the utter exhaustion radiating from the asari doctor. She quickly unhooked her canteen and opened it, handing it to Liara. "Here, drink this."

Liara grabbed the can quickly, and began gulping down its contents needily. She drank every last drop left in the canteen and gave a satisfied sigh. Shepard could see the life and energy returning to Liara somewhat. Liara went to hand the canteen back, before a look of horror came across her face as she realized she drank all of her savior's water. "I-I'm so sorry! I was just... really t-thirsty, and I-I... just couldn't stop myself, and now it's all gone," she said sadly.

Shepard gave her a warm smile, she thought it was so cute that Liara thought she did something terrible drinking all the water. "It's no problem, Dr. T'Soni. You needed it much more than I did, from the looks of it. We need to get you out of here, can you walk?" she asked.

Liara tried to stand, but immediately sank back down and shook her head. Her legs felt like they were made of jelly.

"That's okay, which way to the exit?" Shepard asked her.

Liara pointed behind them. "There's a large elevator that goes all the way to the top, that's the quickest way out of here." The ground beneath them suddenly shook, knocking some of them off balance. "What was that?"

Shepard winced. "We used a mining laser to get to you, guess it made the ruins unstable. Sounds like it's coming down, come on we gotta move. Garrus, contact the Normandy and tell Joker to get his ass down here for a pickup immediately!" Shepard gently lifted Liara into her arms, and stood up. She found it odd that Liara seemed to fit against her body perfectly. It was extremely easy to carry her. The squad walked to the elevator and started their ride to the top. Once they arrived, they were interrupted by another krogan and a squad of geth coming into the room they found themselves in.

"Give us the girl, or don't. Always much more fun when they don't," the krogan said to them.

Shepard set Liara down beside some cover, then turned back to the krogan. "You'll have to pry her from my cold, dead fingers before you lay a hand on her," Shepard said in a venomous tone.

The other krogan pulled out his shotgun and let out a roar. "The fun way it is, then!"

The krogan sent a shot in Shepard's direction, and she dived out of the way, feeling a pinch in her side, but ignored it as she moved to Liara's side. "Ashley, cover fire! Garrus, Wrex, bring that ugly fucker down!" she yelled. She turned to Liara. "Can you use your biotics?"

Liara tried to summon a singularity, and began to panic when she couldn't and shook her head no.

Shepard put her hand on Liara's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "Hey, it's okay. You're probably exhausted, I'd be amazed if you could. I just had to check. Nobody here will hurt you, I promise you that," Shepard said.

Liara felt comforted by Shepard's words and nodded, sinking back into cover trying to avoid the chaos of the fighting in the room.

Shepard drew out her shotgun and aimed at the krogan, not daring to leave her cover due to the lack of shields. She surveyed the battlefield to see that the geth had already been taken out, and that all the fire was being concentrated on the krogan now. Wrex was flinging throws at him, while Ashley and Garrus were peppering him with assault rifle fire. Shepard added her own fire to the mix, and the krogan began moving towards her and Liara. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bright blue flash from where Wrex was, and saw him biotically charge into the other krogan. The force sent him flying into a wall, gunfire tearing his armor to bits before Wrex walked up and ended his life with a shotgun shot to the face.

"Stupid runt, thinking he can take on a battle master," Wrex muttered.

Shepard bent down to make sure Liara was okay when another set of violent tremors shook the ruins. "This place is about to come down! Move your asses now!" she yelled. She hoisted Liara into a fireman's carry, ignoring the pain in her left side and began to run behind the rest of her squad. Rocks were falling left and right along the walkway as they ran. She could see Wrex, Garrus, and Ashley far ahead, beginning their ascent to the surface. She was falling behind, and the collapse was getting worse, on the brink of total failure. Shepard willed every ounce of speed out of her legs and sprinted for the exit tunnel. Her heart was racing, and she could hear Liara's worried breathing in her ear, which only willed her to move faster. The run up the tunnel seemed like the longest of her life, but eventually she made it up, and continued running a good distance to safety.

Shepard set Liara down on her feet, and looked at her. "Are you okay?" Shepard asked lazily.

Liara nodded. "I am quite fine, thanks to you," she said.

Shepard nodded lethargically. "That's... good. That's... good," she said. She took one step past Liara, and promptly collapsed on the ground, everything going black.


	15. Chapter 9: A Romance is Born

**A/N:** _Thanks to Rae and OriginalAlcy for looking at this chapter and making it tons better! Mostly a fluff chapter, hope you enjoy it! Not the direction I intended for this chapter, but I think it worked out pretty well. Enjoy!_

* * *

Shepard woke to find herself in the medbay. As she slowly emerged from her slumber Shepard attempted to sit up, and was rewarded with an uncomfortable twinge in her left side. Confused, she lifted her shirt to see a medical dressing covering her left flank. _Guess that was the pinch I felt, _she thought. She sat up fully, doing her best to avoid causing herself any discomfort in her side as she did. Looking around, Shepard noticed the man that Anderson delivered was still out cold. She looked around for any signs of Dr. T'Soni, and was curious why she wasn't there.

Sensing that Shepard was awake, Dr. Chakwas stopped working at her terminal and walked over to her. "Ahh, back among the land of the living are we Shepard?" she asked as she looked over some of the machines near her bed.

Shepard gingerly rubbed her injured side as she nodded. "What happened? Where is Doctor T'Soni?" she asked, still looking around the med bay.

Doctor Chakwas swatted Shepard's hand away from her bandages and proceeded to take them off to replace them with a fresh dressing. "Well to begin with you were shot, though I assume you've gathered that much," she began. "You lost a decent amount of blood, and from what the crew told me you carried Dr. T'Soni out of those ruins at a full sprint. Sprinting after being shot would have done enough damage on its own, but doing so while carrying another utterly drained your body," she scolded.

Shepard shrugged. "She couldn't walk under her own power, and there wasn't time to help her walk all the way up," she said. "Speaking of Dr. T'Soni, where is she? Is she alright?" she asked with barely concealed concern in her voice.

Dr. Chakwas pulled up a chair, brought it next to Shepard's bed, sitting to face her. "Physically, she's perfectly fine. She had a nasty case of dehydration, though after some rest and some fluids she recovered quickly. Emotionally, she isn't doing well. She was absolutely hysterical when you collapsed after exiting the ruins. She thought that you had died carrying her out, and was almost inconsolable."

Shepard was surprised, to say the least. "S-she was that concerned for me?" she asked weakly. She was flattered that someone cared that much about her well-being, but the fact that it was the gorgeous Dr. T'Soni made it much more so.

"Oh yes, and even more than that," Chakwas replied, using gestures to emphasize how serious it was. "Even after I convinced her that you weren't dead or in danger of dying, she was still extremely upset with herself over your getting injuries. You were out for a total of forty-eight hours. When she wasn't asleep she was watching over you, praying that you would wake up soon and make a full recovery. It was rather cute," Chakwas said with a smile.

Shepard looked bewildered. "She watched over me? I should thank her then. It's been a long time since someone's shown that much concern for me outside of Anderson and yourself," she said. She thought back to her life before Torfan, and immediately wished she hadn't. A pained expression wrote itself across her face as she absently rubbed her left thigh.

Chakwas noted Shepard's expression, but decided not to push it. Instead, she smiled at the compliment she had been given. "I believe that would make her feel much better, Commander. Especially after the way some of the crew has treated her," she added, a frown appearing on her face.

The doctor's words made Shepard's brow furrow with anger. The thought that any member of her crew could treat a sweet person such like Liara poorly upset her. Daughter of a traitor or not, Shepard demanded better of her crew. "What do you mean, by the way the crew has treated her?" she asked, anger backing her voice.

Chakwas lowered her head. "Some members of the crew do not trust her, since she is the daughter of one of Saren's allies. That is to be expected, though the way they are behaving is quite unacceptable," Chakwas explained, hints of anger also coming through in her speech. "The vast majority of the crew, save for myself, Engineer Adams, Lieutenant Alenko, Joker, and the other aliens aboard flat out refuse to speak with her. When she went to get breakfast on her first day here, she sat down at a table and anyone _near _her got up and left, leaving her alone. When she went to get dinner later with some nudging from me, someone threw their food at her and another yelled out traitor. She ran back in here and cried for a couple of hours, and refused to leave out of fear."

The more she heard, the angrier Shepard had become. Her hands gripped either side of her bed, knuckles pale white from the strength of her grip. She was infuriated that someone so beautiful and innocent was being treated so harshly. The fact that it was her crew was disgraceful. "What the hell is wrong with them? Anyone could tell that Dr. T'Soni is innocent in all this. Where were Alenko and Williams? Why didn't they stop the crew?" she asked, frustrated and hurt that her crew could stoop to such behavior.

Chakwas looked ashamed. "Kaidan was off-duty, sleeping. Ashley... was the one who yelled out 'traitor' at dinner," Chakwas said in a disappointed tone.

Shepard's jaw dropped. "She did that?!" She slammed her fist down hard onto the metal bed to accompany her yell, drawing a concerned look from Chakwas. "What in the actual _fuck_ is wrong with her? I didn't expect this from her, especially not after the talk I had on the Citadel with her!" Shepard was fuming. "Where is Dr. T'Soni? I need to apologize to her for the crew's behavior, and quite literally make some heads roll," she said infuriated.

Doctor Chakwas felt a little sorry for the crew that had to face the wrath of Shepard, though not too much as she had taken a liking to the asari doctor. "I had Lieutenant Alenko take her to the comm room along with the other specialists. I informed them that you would be waking soon and would probably like to plan your next move," she said. She paused for a bit, before she continued. "Ashley is there as well. Dr. T'Soni was extremely hesitant to leave the med bay and be around the others, but Kaidan and I managed to talk her into it, saying that you would be there and that the crew wouldn't dare act in such a way in front of you."

Shepard nodded and hopped off the bed. "Thanks, Doc," she said. Her face was set into stone, and her body looked like a coiled snake ready to strike. She stretched her body out a bit to get rid of some of the stiffness. Satisfied, she looked over to the man on the last med bed. "Let me know if anything changes with him," she said as she left the med bay. Stopping short, Shepard wheeled back around and looked at Chakwas. "What is _your _opinion of her, Doctor?" she asked.

Chakwas gave a smile. "Dr. T'Soni? She's an incredibly sweet girl. She has a very caring heart too, I could see it when she was concerned over you. Anyone who thinks that Dr. T'Soni is capable of doing the kind of things Saren is doing is a complete and utter fool. I'm a very good judge of character, that girl has no ounce of traitor in her," she said. "Besides, she had plenty of opportunity to kill you while she was alone here with you," she said with a reassuring smile.

Shepard gave a satisfied smile. "Thanks for the opinion, Doc. Glad to know that I'm not the only one who felt that she wasn't working with Saren," she said, now leaving out of the med bay.

Chakwas nodded, then began preparing the med bay for incoming patients. She had a feeling Shepard was not going to play nice with the recalcitrant crew.

* * *

Shepard walked into the comm room, with her fury still boiling. Her eyes instantly caught hold of Liara, and her heart skipped a beat. She was even more beautiful now that she had gotten some rest. For a second, all her anger was gone, until she noticed that Liara seemed to be sinking as far back into her seat as she could. Her body language was all but saying she was uncomfortable and worried. Her fury returned, Shepard stepped further into the comm room. Her eyes found Ashley, and narrowed slightly as her fists clenched. "Everyone to the cargo bay, NOW!" she demanded. The crew looked at her confused for a second, before they determined she wasn't in a mood to be messed with and quickly complied.. Shepard waited a couple of moments before leaving herself. She could feel her heart beat increase and felt traces of adrenaline pumping through her as she got closer to the elevator.

Once Shepard reached the cargo bay, she walked straight past the crew towards the back of the area. "Williams! Hand your weapons over to Alenko and step forward!" she ordered, as she searched through the items in the corner of the hold.

Ashley gave a confused look to Kaidan, before removing all her weapons and stepping forward as she was ordered. The whole crew was whispering amongst themselves, wondering what was going on.

Shepard returned shortly, dragging a large sparring mat with her. She walked up close to where the crew was waiting, before throwing down the mat before her and stepping on it.

Liara watched from the back, curious what her savior was doing with that mat. She watched as Shepard took place on the mat and began blushing madly when Shepard took off her shirt, revealing her black tank top underneath. She couldn't help but stare at the human Commander. She was fascinated by her luscious hair, and mesmerized by her stormy eyes. Simply put, Liara thought she was gorgeous. She had never been attracted to a human before, but then again she had met very few.

Shepard gestured for Williams to come forward. "On the mat, Williams," she demanded.

Ashley looked at her for a moment, unsure of what was happening, before she slowly stepped onto the mat.

Shepard stood with an eerie calm about her, head bowed slightly. "Make a move, Williams," she ordered.

Ashley, now extremely confused, cocked her head to the side. "Excuse me, ma'am?" she asked.

Shepard's voice grew colder. "Make. A. Move. Williams," she said in staccato.

Ashley, not knowing what else to do, threw a half-hearted jab at Shepard. Her punch was blocked with ease, and she felt an intense pain in her jaw as Shepard connected with a right hook. Angry now, Ashley glared down her Commander. "What the hell, Commander!?" she exclaimed.

Shepard said nothing as she advanced on Ashley again, throwing a punch that caught Ashley in the gut. Ashley doubled over from the force, and tried to back away from the mat towards the crew. Shepard walked towards her and grabbed her shirt, throwing her back onto the mat. She saw Kaidan start to step forward from the crowd, but she shot him a venomous look and he sulked back into the group.

Ashley was now growing angry with Shepard. She didn't know why Shepard was attacking her like this. Never one to give up without a fight, Ashley got up and threw a full force punch at Shepard. She thought it was about to connect when Shepard batted her arm away at the last second and grabbed her arm. Shepard drove her knee into Ashley's stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Ashley quickly recovered and gave a jab to Shepard's ribs. The punch connected, but Shepard quickly repaid the favor with a punch to Ashley's ribs and threw her to the ground and added a kick for good measure. Ashley coughed from the impact, and rolled back to her feet. As soon as she got to her feet, Shepard was charging her. The Commander managed to land another right hook to her jaw, causing her to fall backwards. Ashley recovered slowly, getting to her feet with her back to Shepard. She was rewarded with a roundhouse kick to her back, causing her to face plant into the mat. Another kick to the side and Ashley was down for the count.

To say the crew was shocked was an understatement. They all had to sit there and watch as Shepard pummeled Ashley with relative ease. Some couldn't bear to watch it, looking everywhere but in front of them. Some watched solemnly as the scene played out before them, not knowing what else to do. Only Wrex seemed to be cheering on the fight, as though he was the only one who truly understood what was going on.

Shepard gave a slight huff as she stepped past Ashley to face the crew. "It has come to my attention that there has been some extremely negative behavior being directed at Dr. T'Soni here. Unjustifiably so, if I may add. I don't care if her mother is working for Saren, I _personally_ vouch that she is _not_ working with them," Shepard said sternly, and began pacing. "She is simply a scientist who was trapped for days in a volcano by a krogan and a squad of geth attempting to either kill or capture her. Refusing to talk to her or even be near her, flinging food at her, and calling her a traitor," she said as she turned back to look at Ashley, "is completely unacceptable. Whenever I permit someone aboard, alien or not, it is because I trust them, and _you_ should trust them as well. You will pass this message on to the rest of the crew, and I _will not_ hear of any more incidents like this. Understood?" Shepard's tone was extremely serious, her gaze was fierce enough to make some of the crew crumble in fear. The crew nodded slowly at her. "All right then, dismissed!" she said. As the crew began to file out, she caught sight of Liara trying to enter the elevator. "Dr. T'Soni!" she called out, her tone noticeably more gentle.

Liara stopped and looked back at her. "Y-Yes, Commander?" she asked sheepishly.

"Please wait a moment, I would like to talk with you in private," Shepard said.

Liara nodded and stepped away from the elevator, taking up a spot on the wall just to the side of it.

Shepard then turned back to Ashley, her face becoming stone again. She walked over to Ashley and rolled her limp form over, kneeling down to speak to her face to face. "As for you, if I _ever_ get wind of you pulling a stunt like that again, I will throw you out of the airlock so fast you won't even have time to piss yourself. You're an Alliance Officer – act like one. Is that understood?" Ashley just nodded blankly, not wanting Shepard to become angrier. Shepard gave a grunt of disgust as she stood up and looked down at Ashley. "I'm disappointed in you, Williams. I thought after our talk on the Citadel you had changed, I guess I was wrong," she said, before walking away towards Liara.

Liara looked up as Shepard approached her, her nerves making her uneasy. "Y-you wanted to s-speak with me, Commander?" she asked timidly.

Shepard's features softened at the sound of Liara's voice, and she nodded. "Come with me, I'd like to talk to you in private," she said softly.

Liara nodded and they both entered the elevator, riding it up in silence.

* * *

Liara exited the elevator first and began walking towards the med bay, before she felt Shepard grab her arm gently to pull her back, causing her to yelp in surprise and blush slightly. "W-what are you doing? I thought we were going to the lab to talk," she asked.

Shepard shook her head, and then led Liara in the opposite direction. "We're going to my quarters, if that's alright with you?" she asked.

Liara nodded, her excitement building as she was curious to view the interior of the Commander's quarters.. She wanted to know more about Shepard, and this was her chance. As the door slid open, her excitement turned to slight disappointment. There was no personalization to Shepard's room, just what Liara assumed were the standard furnishings.

Shepard turned around and noticed Liara still standing at the entryway. She cursed herself for being so rude. "I'm sorry, please, have a seat," she said as she pulled out a chair for Liara to sit in. Shepard didn't know what it was about Liara, but in her presence she felt nervous and shy.. It was something that continued to baffle her. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked, moving away from the chair and looking through the various drawers and cabinets in the room.

Liara took her seat and gave Shepard a quizzical look, an amused smile on her face. "Thank you for the offer, but I will pass," she said.

Shepard stopped fidgeting with the cabinets, feeling slightly thankful as she realized she didn't have any drinks to offer. She pulled up another chair and sat it across from Liara. Taking her seat, she began to speak. "I wanted to apologize to you, for the way the crew treated you. It wasn't right of them, and hopefully it won't happen again. And I'm sorry for what you saw down in the cargo hold, my anger got the better of me. And I'm sorry for worrying you on Therum. I wanted to thank you for your concern over me. Dr. Chakwas told me that you hardly left my side, that you watched over me. Not that you would watch me, that would be creepy. And now I'm rambling, I think I'll just shut up," she blurted out. _What the hell is wrong with you, Zoe? You're never like this around anyone!_

Liara stared at Shepard through her rambling with an amused smile. _Goddess, she's cute like this. I'm getting this funny feeling in my chest all of the sudden. Perhaps I'll talk to Dr. Chakwas about it._ "You're welcome. I was concerned about you. You saved my life and I did not want you to die because of it. I would also like to thank you for defending me. Nobody has ever spoken about me like that, it means a lot to me," she said shyly, ducking her head down a bit.

Shepard blushed slightly. "Uh.. no problem," she said, still flustered. Shepard looked into Liara's eyes, and was mesmerized by her deep cerulean irises. _I really want to get to know her,_ Shepard thought, and it scared her. She was afraid of getting close to anyone, her life had made sure of that. Shepard realized that she had been staring at Liara, and that Liara was blushing madly. This made Shepard's cheeks turn a deep red as she fidgeted around in her chair. "So... um... Dr. T'Soni, I was wondering if I could speak to you about a couple of things –, if you wouldn't mind, that is," she said. _Get a damn grip, Zoe. Anyway, she's too pretty for you_.

"Please, call me Liara," Liara replied. _Goddess, the way she was looking at me made my chest flutter. I definitely need to talk to Dr. Chakwas about this._ "What do you wish to know, Commander?" she asked.

"Well, Dr –Liara, you should call me Shepard then," she replied. "When was the last time you saw your mother?" she asked.

"I have not seen my mother in many years, Comm –Shepard," Liara said. "We had a falling out over my choice of career. It was a difficult conversation. So it's true, my mother is working with Saren?" she asked.

Shepard nodded with a frown. "Yes, apparently she is Saren's second in command. We don't know her motivations, or why she's helping. We were hoping you could provide some insight."

Liara had a troubled frown on her face. "This is not like her. Matriarch Benezia was one of the most beloved leaders of our species, and she had many followers. For her to become a traitor to the Council is... troubling. I do not what she has become, this is not like her." _Oh mother, what are you doing?_

"I see," Shepard said. "Perhaps she is being influenced or coerced somehow. I won't presume to know her reasoning. For now, I know enough to know you aren't involved. I do have a question that could use your Prothean expertise, though. Saren is attempting to locate something called 'The Conduit'. Do you know what that is?" she asked, hoping that she had answers.

Liara mentally went through her studies of the Protheans, trying to recall something about this 'Conduit'. Finding nothing, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Shepard. I have not heard of this 'Conduit' you speak of. Why is he looking for it?"

"This is just a theory, but I believe that he thinks it has something to do with bringing back an ancient race of machines called the Reapers that wiped out the Protheans fifty thousand years ago," Shepard said.

To say that Liara was shocked was an understatement. "The-the Reapers? Destroying the Protheans? H-how, how do you know this? What is your proof!?" she blurted out.

Shepard leaned forward a bit. "On Eden Prime, there was an intact Prothean Beacon on the surface. I believe Saren used the beacon to find information on this 'Conduit'. I also interacted with the beacon on accident, and it's been screwing with my mind ever since. It left visions of what I assume are the Protheans being slaughtered by the Reapers. It's been giving me headaches a lot lately," she said.

Liara's jaw was now completely open, and she turned into a babbling mess. "You interacted with an actual Prothean beacon? You must be incredibly strong willed, Commander. A lesser mind would be driven to insanity or death by such an encounter." Liara was in awe. "You fascinate me, Shepard," she added said shyly.

"Sounds like you want to dissect me in a lab somewhere," Shepard joked.

Liara's eyes widened in horror, and she shifted in her chair, bringing her hands up to her head in shame. "W-what? N-no! I did not mean to insinuate- I did not mean to offend you, Shepard. I only meant that you would be an ideal candidate for an in-depth study- N-no that's even worse," Liara babbled.

Shepard had the biggest smile on her face, unable to believe how cute Liara was. "Calm down, Liara. I was only joking with you," she giggled. _I'm giggling. I'm actually giggling. I need to get out of here,_ she thought.

"J-joking? By the Goddess! I am so dense! You must think I am a complete and utter fool. Now you know why I prefer spending my time alone at dig sites with data disks and computers," she said, defeated. She put her hands between her legs and looking down in shame.

Feeling slightly guilty for making Liara feel this way, Shepard reached over and lifted Liara's head up with her fingers. "_I think no such thing of you, Liara,_" she spoke in Old Armali.

Liara looked at her in shock. "You-You speak Old Armali?" she asked. She had no experience of a human speaking any language from Thessia.

Shepard nodded. "Mmhmm. You don't remember much from your rescue on Therum, do you?" she asked.

Liara shook her head, slightly confused.

Shepard gave her a smile. "You were hallucinating and delirious. You were speaking in Old Armali. Thankfully for you I know Old Armali – amongst a few other languages."

Liara's interest in Shepard just skyrocketed. She couldn't believe that Shepard knew the tongue from her home. Liara then realized that Shepard said she had been delirious and hallucinating. "I-I didn't make a fool of myself, did I?" she asked.

Shepard gave her a soft smile, not wanting to embarrass Liara with what she said on Therum. "I promised myself that I wouldn't tell anyone what you said on Therum - that includes you," she said.

"Oh, um... thank you, I guess. I hope I didn't sound too foolish," she said.

Shepard gave a laugh and shook her head. "Nothing like that, Liara. Just the wild ramblings of someone who was really out of it," she said. She looked over at the clock and noticed how late it was. "Well Liara, I am extremely sorry for the way you've been treated. I promise it won't happen again. To make it up to you, you're going to stay in here tonight. No objections," she said.

Liara blushed madly at what Shepard said, not trusting herself to speak. _Does she really expect me to share her bed tonight?_ Liara thought. She began to worry about the possibility.

Shepard's eyes widened as she realized her mistake, cheeks reddening as she raised her hands and waved them back and forth. "No, no, no, no, no. I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I mean not that I don't want..." Shepard cut herself off, cursing herself for being so stupid. _Did I really just say that to her? I _really_ need to get out of here_. She took a breath, and began again. "What I meant is that you're going to have the room to yourself, and I will be sleeping elsewhere."

Liara's heart was thudding. _Did she just actually say that she wanted to be with me? _she thought._ No, Liara, don't be silly. She was just flustered because you caught her off guard._ "Ummm, okay. Thank you, Shepard, though it is really unnecessary."

Shepard shook her head. "Nonsense, enjoy the room for the night. There's a shower too. Feel free to use it. Good night, Liara," Shepard said as she got up from her chair and began to leave.

"Good night, Shepard. Thank you," Liara replied.

Now alone, Liara made her way over to the bed and crawled onto it. She laid down, taking in the scent around her. She couldn't quite put a finger on the scent, but it was extremely pleasant. She rolled onto her back and tried to calm her beating heart down. _Relax, Liara. You're being silly. Commander Shepard has no interest in you. It's just in your head. You don't have any experiences with humans, you're probably just misinterpreting her behavior, _she thought. _Although _she_ did say that she wanted to stay the night with me..._ Liara's internal monologue was cut short by her drowsiness. She gave in, putting off curiosity for tomorrow. She got under the covers, not bothering to take off her clothes, and rested her head on the pillow. She eventually drifted into a blissful sleep and dreaming of Commander Shepard.


	16. Chapter 10: The Butcher of Torfan

**A/N:** _Sorry for the long wait between updates for this. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it! Thanks to Rae and OriginalAlcy for cleaning this up and giving some valuable insight._

* * *

Shepard wandered about the Normandy in a daze, pondering over her talk with Liara. She was mentally berating herself for acting so stupid in front of the doctor. That type of behavior wasn't like Shepard at all. She had promised herself not to feel like that for _anyone_ after Torfan, for the sake of both people involved. _No matter how I may feel about her, I can't go through _that _again. I don't wish to go back to that dark place again. _

After the events of Torfan, Shepard had gone through a severe bout of depression and self-loathing that eventually manifested itself into anger. She had drunk herself into a stupor many times, often ending with her fighting anyone who looked at her wrong. One thing that bothered her the most was that she would have done it all again if it meant getting the job done. Even though she lost so much of herself on Torfan, she didn't regret the retribution for Elysium. It didn't help her psyche that she was constantly called the 'Butcher of Torfan' so soon after the events. She was on a self-destructive path, one that seriously had Alliance brass considering a discharge from service.

Only when her longtime friend and father figure, Captain David Anderson, stepped in did she get her act together. Anderson intervened with the brass, saying that he could get her head on straight. He convinced brass to give himself and Shepard a three-month leave of absence so he could work with her. Those three months were some of the roughest in her life, but Anderson helped her through it to a stable state. The only remnants of her troubles with Torfan resided with her 'Butcher' title, and her resistance to becoming close with her crew.

Shepard had gotten used to keeping crewmembers at an arm's length, it was her defense mechanism. She only used last names of crewmembers if she could help it and only kept conversation on a general level, never delving deeper into personal information. It was a system that had worked for her thus far, and it helped dull the pain of the inevitable loss soldiers experienced. This new crew was certainly throwing her through a loop, though. Kaidan and Ashley were soldiers that Shepard admired, and they both seemed to have much more to them than the surface suggested. Tali had a certain bubbly personality that seemed to just uplift Shepard's own. Wrex was a fellow warrior spirit, and the two just understood each other. Garrus had a certain persona about him that Shepard found amusing, and enjoyed being around. Then there was Liara. The way she could completely disarm Shepard so easily frightened her.

Shepard supposed she could deal with the way the crew was growing on her, though she had her concerns. What she didn't think she was capable of was seeing where her feelings with Liara could take her. She just couldn't bring herself to even _think_ about taking that risk. She had no desire to repeat the past. She thought back to the beautiful asari sleeping in her room, and hung her head. _I'm going to have to keep my distance with her_, Shepard lamented. Shepard's thoughts were interrupted by the crackling of the comm.

"Commander. Priority message from Admiral Hackett," Joker said.

"Patch it through to the comm room, I'll take it in there," Shepard replied, already heading to her new destination.

"Aye-aye, Commander. Patching it through," Joker replied.

* * *

Aidan's senses came to slowly, his body feeling lethargic and unresponsive. Confused, he opened his eyes and was greeted by a blinding white light that prompted him to snap them closed once again. This process was repeated until the light became somewhat bearable. Still lying down, Aidan looked around to find himself in a strange looking hospital. All sorts of machines and gadgets were littered across the room and they were extremely foreign looking. Aidan summoned his strength and forced his stiff body into a sitting position so he could further survey his surroundings. With his vision clearing, Aidan could now see that he was sectioned off from the rest of the room. "Hello?" he called out as he cleared his throat. He heard someone get up from a chair and light footsteps approaching him. A gray haired doctor appeared through the curtain, a surprised look on her face.

"Ahh, you're finally awake. How are you feeling?" the doctor asked while looking him over.

"Stiff. Where am I?" Aidan asked. Aidan was wracking his brain to figure out how he had ended up in this strange place, trying to remember anything that might be useful.

"My name is Doctor Chakwas. Stiffness is to be expected, you've been unconscious for quite some time. As for where you are, you're on the _Normandy_, a military vessel," the doctor replied, reading charts and monitors.

"Where are we stationed? I don't feel the normal rocking of the ocean," he said, confused.

The doctor gave him a sad, pitying look. "Oh dear I've forgotten. You're going to want to brace yourself," she said.

"Brace myself for what, ma'am?" he asked respectfully.

"You're on the _Normandy_, a frigate in the Alliance's navy fleet. The current year is 2183. Humanity has advanced quite a lot since the twenty first century. We are currently orbiting the planet Therum, awaiting our next orders," the doctor told him, trying to be as clear and up front as possible. "You were revived from cryo sleep several days ago, and have been unconscious ever since."

Aidan sat there dumbfounded, trying to wrap his head around what he was being told. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _There's no way what this lady is telling me is true_, he thought. "Come again?" he asked, needing to hear it again. The doctor repeated what she had said, but it didn't make it any more real for Aidan.

The doctor suddenly slapped her head and gave Aidan an apologetic smile. "I apologize, I forgot to ask you your name," she stated. "We have been trying to find your records in the military databases, but have thus far been unsuccessful. If our Commander decides to add you to our wondrous crew, which I am sure she will, I'll need your medical records to know how best to treat you should you injure yourself in combat."

"My name is Aidan Randal. You won't find much, just a fair warning," he said coldly.

The doctor's arm suddenly glowed a bright orange, and a weird hologram appeared around it. She fiddled with it for a bit, then turned her attention back to him. Seeing his confused look, she looked back down to her arm and laughed. "I don't suppose you know what an omni-tool is. Think of it as a highly advanced cell phone that has other capabilities too. Almost everyone has one, and I am sure that you shall have one shortly as well. So, why would you think we won't find much in your records?" she asked.

"I was spec-ops," he replied shortly.

"Well, we shall see what the Alliance can dig up," she replied hopefully. "Would you care to fill me in, perhaps?" Chakwas doubted that the man would share, but she felt compelled to ask anyways.

"No," Aidan replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

Chakwas gave a knowing smile. "Not much of a talker, are you? Perhaps that will change with time. How does a crash course on the last 200 years or so sound?" she asked.

Aidan nodded. "Sure."

Chakwas nodded and pulled up a chair. "Well, you might as well get comfortable. I'm afraid we're going to be here for a while," she said, preparing her history lesson.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Admiral Hackett sir?" Shepard asked, giving a salute through the vid comm.

"Shepard, something's come up and we could use your help. You remember a Major Kyle?" he asked in a careful tone, knowing the ground upon which he was treading.

Shepard cringed a little at the sound of the name, her brow furrowing. "What about him, sir?" she replied in a bothered voice.

"He went AWOL some time ago. He recently resurfaced on a planet called Presrop. As you know, he suffered from PTSD after Torfan. We sent two Alliance reps to try and bring him in to get some help. However they haven't checked back in. We want you to go in and check it out, we figure your previous history with him might bring him to his senses," Hackett explained.

"What exactly is he doing on Presrop, sir?" she asked.

A troubled look crossed over Hackett's face. "From our reports he's running a compound full of biotics. He's taken in biotic civilians that have been outcast from society and formed a cult. He's planning on taking out the Alliance, you can see the situation we're in here," he said grimly.

"What is he thinking? How many civilians does he have there?" she asked, shocked that someone she used to know was going to these sorts of extremes.

"We have no idea on numbers, but from what we're being told, the civilian biotics are rather weak. Very few of them actually have amps. I'm going to be honest with you, Shepard, I'm not expecting a good outcome from this. We're sending you in instead of bombing the place to try and save some lives here, but it may be beyond that at this point."

Shepard cast her gaze downward, shoulders sagging. "And if it is beyond that point, sir?"

"Do what needs to be done. Hackett out."

Shepard was making her way to her quarters to catch some sleep before their mission on Presrop when she ran into Doctor Chakwas standing outside of the elevator. "Hey, Doc. What's up?"

"The man has woken up. His name is Aidan Randal. You're free to talk to him if you'd like, though he is still shocked from the situation he's in," Chakwas said, motioning to the med bay.

"Understandable. Thanks, Doc," Shepard said, and entered the med bay to find Aidan sitting on the edge of one of the beds within. She walked over and held out a hand. "Commander Shepard, I'm the captain of this ship," she said.

Aidan studied her for a moment and gripped her hand in a strong grip. "Aidan Randal."

Shepard studied the man before her. He looked like he was strong, but he wasn't very bulky. The best way she could characterize his posture would be a broken warrior, strong, but with one too many wounds. There was an aura about him that felt like death. She looked into his eyes, and what she saw was emptiness inside, with only the faintest sliver of hope in them. If Shepard was being honest with herself, she saw much of herself in the man.

"Are you going to just sit there and stare?" Aidan asked.

Shepard snapped out of it. "Sorry. Anyways, Admiral Hackett said that you possibly came into contact with a Prothean beacon before you were cryogenically frozen. Do you remember what happened?" she asked.

Aidan shook his head. "I don't remember anything about how I got frozen, and some time before that," he said.

"I see," Shepard replied, disappointed. Realizing that she wasn't going to get much more out of Aidan, she decided to leave it to later. "Well, I have a mission to prepare for. I'll be around again afterwards and we can talk some more. Just take it easy, and try to introduce yourself to the crew," Shepard suggested. She fired off a salute towards him, not quite sure of his rank, and turned tail to leave.

Dr. Chakwas turned to Aidan with a frown. "You should work on your manners, you know. The Commander has been through a lot in her life, she could be someone you can confide in," she said.

"I doubt she could relate," Aidan said bluntly.

"I think the Commander would surprise you. Just give her a chance," was the doctor's reply.

"Time will tell," Aidan replied. Feeling tired, he scooted back onto the bed and plopped down. He was reflecting over all the information that he had just been given. _Technically, I'm four years shy of two hundred._ That was something he couldn't get his mind around. The alien species he could somewhat grasp, but the fact that he was ancient was messing with his mind. Everyone and everything he had known was dead and gone, though an optimist would look at this as a fresh start. Aidan decided that he would give this newfound life a chance, and dozed off to sleep once again.

* * *

Shepard approached the main gate of the compound run by Major Kyle with her squad of Liara, Wrex, and Kaidan. She figured since they were going to be walking into a building full of biotics, she should bring her own as well. As she got closer and closer to the doors, she felt prickles trace lines up and down her spine and neck. She didn't like going to see Kyle again, and she hated even more she had to go through a cult of civilian biotics to do so. Everything about this mission just screamed disaster to her. Nevertheless, she approached the main entrance to find it locked.

"State your business," a voice said over the intercom.

"I'm here to see Major Kyle, I'm here on Alliance business," she replied, trying to be as civil as possible.

"Nobody sees Father Kyle, especially not Alliance. You are not welcome here," the voice stated angrily.

_Great, they call him Father Kyle. Definitely a cult._ "Tell him it's Commander Shepard. I served with him at Torfan," she said, hoping that would get her through.

"One moment," the voice said. After a brief pause, the comm crackled to life again. "Father Kyle will see you, and _only_ you. You may enter through the door at the far end of the compound."

Shepard walked back to her team and broke the news. "He'll see me, but I have to go in alone," she said, anticipating the disapproval from her team.

Liara was the first to speak. "That would not be wise, Commander. Regardless of their strength, you are not a biotic and you are facing an unknown number of them. I would highly suggest against this course of action," she said with concern.

Kaidan was the next to speak. "Commander, I would not go in there alone either. They already killed two Alliance reps, what's to say that they won't kill you too?" he said.

"You squishy people worry too much, those pyjaks couldn't hold a candle to Shepard's quad. I'd be scared for the fools inside that would tempt Shepard," Wrex added.

"Your concern is noted, but that won't change the fact that I have to go in alone. Have Chakwas give you updates on my vitals, and if things go sideways you guys can come in and clean up," Shepard ordered.

Liara looked worried at that command. "Umm, Commander, aren't those people in there civilians?"

"Yes, Liara. They are civilians. They are also brainwashed biotics. I'm going to do my best to bring everyone out alive, but I want you guys to be ready to do what needs to be done. Are you able to do that?" Shepard asked Liara.

Liara paused for a bit. She had never killed a civilian before, she mostly dealt with local wildlife or the occasional thug or mercenary. She then thought of the biotics attacking Shepard or the crew, and immediately knew her answer. "I, as you humans say, will intently keep my eyes on your back Commander," Liara said.

Shepard smiled at Liara's goof, but decided it wasn't the time to correct her. Instead she nodded in thanks, and hit the button to open the door. "Remember, any sign of trouble blow the hell out of this door. Try not to kill the civilians if it can be helped, but don't risk your own lives."

The other three nodded in understanding, and Shepard entered the compound.

* * *

Once she had entered into the building, Shepard immediately noticed that all the cultists watched her every move, though they kept their distance. Once she moved past a group, they began shadowing her movements and following her as she went. Shepard was itching to pull out her shotgun, but knew that it could possibly cause the thick tension in the air to explode all around her. She settled instead for keeping her right hand on her pistol holster. She wanted to keep the cultists honest and on edge, but nothing too drastic to set them off.

Shepard entered a central area and looked to see which way led where, only to have a cultist point a finger to a hallway to her left, and she continued on her way. Looking back at her shoulder, she noticed all the cultists staying in this central area, which contained many more than were there upon her entrance. _They're using a show of force, trying to scare me. I really need to keep my cool here,_ Shepard thought, not wanting the blood of civilians on her hands.

She passed through a couple more doorways to a room that appeared to be an office of sorts, and standing in the middle was Major Kyle himself. At the sight of the man, she felt her feelings on Torfan boiling up but she quickly clamped down on them in an effort to remain civil.

"Commander Shepard, 'Butcher of Torfan', why have you come to this place?" Kyle asked.

"I should ask the same of you, Major. Why are you running a cult here?" Shepard asked, keeping a safe distance between her and Kyle.

"Because the Alliance needs to be brought to its knees, know the kind of pain others are suffering through because of them. All of my children here have some quarrel or another with the Alliance, and wanted an outlet to see their pain repaid," Kyle preached.

Shepard shook her head at the lunacy the man was saying. "Listen to yourself, Major. You're talking about taking on a whole military with no more than 40 total biotics, most not even having implants!" Shepard yelled, trying to reason with him. "What did you do with the Alliance reps that came here?" she asked.

"They tried to take my children away from me, I had to destroy them," he said coldly. "I will do the same to any others who attempt to do the same," he threatened.

"The Alliance _will_ bomb this place, Kyle. Whether I live or not is irrelevant. I'm your last chance for your 'children' to get out of this situation alive. I want to help you! Don't throw their lives away because of your own issues with the Alliance." Shepard was gambling that he would want to protect the lives of the civilians here, hoping that it would help him calm down and see reason.

Any hope she had of the man calming down was quickly crushed by a maniacal laughter coming from Kyle. "At least you are prepared for the fate coming to you."

* * *

Liara was pacing back and forth outside the door to the compound, extremely impatient. "Doctor Chakwas, how are the Commander's vitals?" Liara asked for the third time since she entered.

"_Her vitals are within normal range, Liara, though slightly elevated. No doubt that is due to the stress of the situation she is in, but I doubt she is in any real trouble currently,"_ Chakwas answered through the comm to the whole squad.

"Sit down, blue. Shepard's fine, she's probably got the fool tied up by his quad by now and is on her way back," Wrex joked with a hearty laugh.

Liara was not in the mood for joking. "She is in there alone against several biotics, and you _joke_ about it?" she asked, annoyed.

Wrex just shrugged. "You seem awfully concerned about her, pup," he replied.

Liara blushed a bit behind her helmet, but shook it off quickly as her worry overpowered that emotion. "The Commander saved my life and has been very kind to me, and is one of my only friends. I do not wish for any harm to come to her, and I hate being out here doing nothing while she is in danger!" Liara ranted.

Kaidan felt for the asari, and he was concerned for Shepard too. "I understand what you mean, Liara, but Shepard is a damn fine soldier. I think she'll talk this Kyle guy down and come walking out triumphantly." _I hope_.

Liara wanted to believe Kaidan, but she kept thinking of all the bad things that could happen and all the things that could keep them from reaching the Commander in time. _Goddess, please watch over Shepard_.

* * *

"The Butcher wants to _help_ people and _save_ them?!" Kyle asked, astonished.

Shepard felt her blood starting to boil at Kyle's words, fists clenching down at her side and the veins in her neck bulging slightly. "I do not want to jeopardize the lives of civilians if I can avoid it! Torfan has nothing to do with that!" she yelled back.

Kyle scoffed at her reply. "Oh, so it's a horror for one civilian to die, but you have no qualms throwing away soldiers' lives like they were nothing more than used tissue paper!" Kyle screamed back.

Shepard felt her self control starting to leave, her eyes now ablaze with anger. "I did what I had to do! Every soldier knows what comes with the job, knows that they might have to lay down their life to complete the mission!" she hollered back in a much deeper tone.

"Is that what you tell yourself?! Tell me, Shepard, did you get some sort of sick pleasure out of sending all those soldiers to their deaths and getting the 'glory' of slaughtering the remaining Batarians yourself?" Kyle asked. "What about Amy? Is that what you told yourself when you told her to lead the charge?"

Shepard nearly lost it at the mentioning of Amy's name. "Don't you _dare_ speak her name," she said with such ice that could have frozen over a lake.

"Tell me, did you even _actually_ care for her, or was she just a cheap fuck you decided to let _think_ you cared for her as you sent her to her death?" Kyle taunted.

Shepard lost it at that statement. She felt an all-consuming rage she hadn't experienced since before she joined the Alliance and met Anderson. She was beyond words, her body functioning on action and reaction. Her body was a killing machine, and she had just turned it loose. Commander Shepard saw red.

* * *

"This is taking too long, something isn't right here," Kaidan said. Shepard had been in the compound for over an hour now, with no word on how she was doing. Kaidan smelled something fishy, and he didn't like it.

"Perhaps we should go into the compound and check on her?" Liara suggested.

Kaidan shook his head. "No, we can't do that. They specifically said Shepard only. If we go trying to bust into their house, it could ignite things and turn it into a bloodbath," Kaidan reasoned. He didn't like to admit it, but there was very little they could actually do about their situation. Kaidan opened his comm link to the _Normandy's_. "Doc, how's it looking in there?" he asked.

"_Her heart rate has been slowly been increasing for the last couple of minutes, but nothing too alarming. It's probably just- Never mind. I believe the Commander just entered combat!"_ Chakwas yelled through the comm.

"Get this door open now!" Kaidan hollered, already moving to the door panel and attempting to hack it open.

Wrex got up off the rock he was sitting on and pulled out his shotgun. "Finally, a fight. Hopefully Shepard leaves some for me," Wrex said.

"I just hope she remains alive until we are able to reach her," Liara added. She paced frantically back and forth, flaring her biotics to ready herself for combat. "How long on the door, Kaidan?" Liara asked impatiently.

Kaidan was fumbling with the door lock, eyebrows knit in frustration. "I can't get the damn thing! It's got some sort of weird encryption on it!" He yelled even as he continued desperately working on the door.

"Move out of the way, whelp," Wrex said as he flared up his biotics. "Let me show you how it's done." Wrex took a couple of paces back, still building up his biotic aura. Once he was a decent distance away from the door, he ran at it and unleashed a full force biotic charge into the door, instantly rupturing it and creating a passage for them to enter.

With the doorway now open, the group stormed into the building and began searching for Shepard. They were surprised to see that when they emerged from the doorway there was no opposition waiting for them. The building was dark, save for the pulsing red lights from alarms. There was a distant sound of gunfire and they took off in the direction they heard it from.

Cautiously moving from room to room, the group didn't encounter any of the cultists that should have been there to fend them off. There wasn't even a single trace of battle in the rooms that they traversed.

"I do not understand, where are the cultists?" Liara whispered.

"Probably moving towards Shepard, which means we need to move faster," Kaidan said as he picked up his pace, worried about the implications of all the cultists converging on Shepard's location.

The sound of gunfire had ceased now, and the squad was forced to slow their pace through the dim, pulsating red light of the building. Eventually, they made their way through the compound and reached the last area they hadn't searched. Kaidan opened to doorway to reveal a large room, and slowly crept his way in. He could see obvious signs of battle, but nothing was clear in the dim lighting. Scanning the room, he heard no movement, and didn't see any sign of enemies. He waved Liara and Wrex through. "I can't see anything in here. Liara, think you can give us some light with your biotics?"

Liara nodded and summoned a decently sized biotic bubble to give them some lighting.

Now that they had some light to see with, Kaidan turned around and dropped his rifle. The cultists were strewn about the room dead, blood pooling around the unmoving bodies. Bullet holes decorated the walls and various pieces of furnishings in the room. "What the hell...?" Kaidan asked in a daze.

Liara covered her mouth at the scene, averting her gaze to a safer place. Coming to her senses, Liara panicked at the thought of Shepard being one of the bodies. "Where is the Commander?!" Liara asked worriedly.

The group heard raspy breathing coming from one of the corners of the room and rushed over. Casting her light to the area, Liara revealed Shepard, slumped down on the ground with her rifle laid out in front of her, head drooping slightly. Upon further inspection, the Commander was extremely bloody and appeared to have several severe injuries. One of her legs appeared to be bent at an awkward angle, and her left arm seemed to hang lower than her right. "By the Goddess, Shepard!" Liara called out as she rushed to the Commander's side, pulling out her field supply of medi-gel.

For once, Wrex was silent. He didn't know what to say about the whole incident, but decided to cover Liara and Kaidan while they took care of the Commander.

Kaidan opened his comm link and began barking orders immediately. "Joker, get the _Normandy _down here now! Have Doctor Chakwas prepare for immediate medical attention, Shepard's hurt bad," he said.

"_Roger, Kaidan. Setting down now. ETA five minutes for that med evac_," Joker relayed.

Kaidan closed the comm and went to Liara's side to help with the Commander's injuries. Looking over the Commander, she didn't seem aware of where she was, her only action was breathing heavily. Kaidan took a look at her face, only to see that her eyes had a blank look to them. Her normal spark was gone, just a dull void replacing it. Heart breaking, Kaidan applied some medi-gel to some cuts on her face and then turned to Liara. "We have to get her out of here," he said. "Do you think that you could help me lift her out of here?"

Liara nodded. "Goddess, how did this happen? We should have been here to help her!" Liara exclaimed as her body was enveloped in a blue aura. She lifted Shepard into the air with Kaidan's help.

"We'll have to ask her when she wakes up. For now, we need to focus on getting her some help," Kaidan said, trying to keep Liara's mind on the task at hand.

Wrex led the way for the group out of the compound, clearing away furniture and closed doors that would slow their progress. They exited the building to a waiting Doctor Chakwas and a hover gurney, which was promptly occupied by Shepard.

Liara let her hand linger on Shepard's forearm for a moment before Chakwas put her hand over Liara's and gave her a warm smile. "The Commander will be all right, but I need to get her to the ship as soon as I can," she said.

Liara removed her hand quickly and stepped back, watching Shepard being carted off to the _Normandy_. Liara took a moment to process everything that had just happened. She had never been witness to such a brutal scene before. To think that Shepard was the one that did it seemed unfathomable to her. She felt that she should be scared of a person that could be capable of such things, but Liara convinced herself that Shepard wouldn't have attacked the civilians unless she had no other option. Her thoughts still on the bloody mess of the cultist lair, Liara entered the _Normandy_ praying for Shepard to pull through her injuries.


	17. Chapter 11: Tell Me What I'm Not

**A/N:** _Whew, this chapter gave me fits to write. I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you so much for the reviews and follows, you guys are awesome. Thanks to Rae and OriginalAlcy for their input on this._

* * *

Shepard woke to the hard, cold surface of one of the med beds, an extremely stiff leg, and a familiar blue figure napping in a chair close by. She sat up, noting the stiffness throughout the majority of her body. Her gaze drifted over to Liara, who looked serenely beautiful asleep on the chair. A smile drifted upon Shepard's face as she looked at the beautiful scene.

"She's watched over you this whole time, Commander. She's a very caring person," Chakwas said softly, trying not to wake up Liara.

Chakwas startled Shepard a little, but the Commander nodded. "How did I end up here," she whispered back, her eyes never leaving Liara's sleeping form.

"Well, I do not know specifics, but the last mission didn't go exactly as planned. You were brought in here in pretty bad shape, in a very dazed state. What do you remember?" Chakwas asked as she pulled up a chair next to Shepard's bed and took out a chart to write on.

Shepard tried to think back to the mission, but couldn't remember anything after she entered the compound. "Not much, Doc. The last thing I remember was walking through Kyle's building. Everything after that was a blur," Shepard said. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had done something terrible, and the look on the Doctor's face only strengthened it. Shepard sighed and hung her head down. "How many dead?" she asked, bracing for some civilian casualties.

Doctor Chakwas wore an extremely troubled look on her face, and bit her lower lip. "I'm afraid... all of them, Commander," she said gingerly, knowing the effect it was going to have on Shepard.

Shepard sat there, stunned. _All dead? No, that can't be._ "You must be mistaken, Doctor. How could all of them be dead?" she asked, refusing to believe what she had just been told.

Chakwas grimaced with sympathy for the woman in front of her. "I'm afraid I am not mistaken, dear. I am so sorry," she said.

"There were over forty of them in there, Doctor!" Shepard yelled louder than she intended. "Are you telling me I killed every single one of them?!" she questioned in horror.

Chakwas nodded and attempted to comfort Shepard, only to have her hand knocked away as the Commander became increasingly distressed.

_God damn it, why?! Why did I kill them!_ Shepard ran her fingers through her hair, trying to contain the whirlpool of emotions flowing throughout her body. She felt like a murderous monster, someone not worthy of being alive. For the first time since Torfan happened, she actually felt like she deserved the title of 'Butcher'. "Fuck!" she screamed out as she slammed her fist into the med bed, sending a searing pain throughout her hand as she recoiled and cursed at her pain.

Shepard cradled her injured hand with the other, still coping with the idea that she just murdered dozens of civilians. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something shift and she lifted her head to see the source. She looked up to see Liara's beautiful blue eyes staring straight at her, only something was off. In those mesmerizing cerulean eyes she saw _fear_, a fear of _her_. The realization hit her like a batarian battle blade in the gut, and her self-hatred only increased more. "Liara..." she started to say, only to be met with the beautiful asari scooting back into her chair and a worried look crawling across her face.

_I am a monster_, Shepard told herself. She tore out of the med bay, blowing past Doctor Chakwas who was attempting to heal her injured hand. She stormed across the mess hall, ignoring the looks from those who were in the area, and went straight to her quarters. Not even bothering to lock the door, she entered the shower and turned it on the hottest it would go. Still clothed, Shepard entered the stream of water and slunk down to the floor. _It's not burning in hell, but this will have to do_, Shepard thought. She shifted slightly and pulled out her combat knife from its holster near her boot, setting it down and watching the droplets of water flow and dance off the polished surface.

* * *

Liara woke to the sound of shouting, and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Shepard sitting on the edge of her med bed, shouting at Doctor Chakwas. She watched as Shepard punched the bed and cringed in pain, surprising her. She was caught off guard when Shepard's attention finally drew to her, their eyes meeting. She could see the anguish the Commander was going through. Her thoughts kept going back to the carnage that she saw, and kept wondering how Shepard was capable of such a thing.

"Liara..." Shepard called out.

Through instinct, Liara recoiled slightly as Shepard scooted closer to her. She instantly regretted the action, even more so when she saw the hurt in Shepard's eyes. Before she could call out to Shepard, she had already run out of the med bay and to her quarters. Ashamed of the way she acted, Liara looked to Chakwas for answers. "Doctor, what happened? Why was the Commander shouting?" she asked.

Doctor Chakwas sighed as she placed down the medigel packet she intended to use on Shepard's hand. "She just found out about what happened on Presrop. Apparently she doesn't remember much," Chakwas stated. "Why did you shy away from her, dear? I'm curious," Chakwas asked.

Liara internally berated herself for such a rude display, and knew she needed to talk to the Commander to make up for it. "I do not know, to be honest. Perhaps it was still the shock from seeing her in all that carnage, and knowing that she was responsible for it. I-I... perhaps should go talk to her, I do not want her to think I am afraid of her," Liara said.

"I would give her some time to calm down," Chakwas told her. "I understand you wish to apologize, but the Commander is the type that needs time to cool down before she will listen."

Liara was discouraged at hearing this, but she was not going to wait around when she felt so horrible for possibly adding to the Commander's anguish. Determined, Liara left the med bay and approached Shepard's cabin and pressed the bell requesting to come in. "Commander? Would it be ok if I... came in?" she asked tentatively. She waited for a couple of moments, and when she received no reply she tried to open the door, surprised that it was unlocked. She paused outside of the door, unsure if it would be rude to enter. Steeling her courage and telling herself that Shepard wouldn't have left the door open if she didn't want to be disturbed, Liara nervously stepped her way into the room. "Commander?" she asked, only to be met by the sound of running water from the shower.

"In here," she heard Shepard reply faintly.

Liara walked over to the shower door, and leaned up against it. "Shepard, I wanted to apologize to you," Liara began, waiting to see Shepard's reaction before she continued. She was surprised to see the door open and immediately shut her eyes and turned around, though a part of her wanted to turn around and see Shepard's body. "Uhh... Commander, w-what are you doing?" she asked uncomfortably.

"I'm dressed, Liara," Shepard replied in an even tone.

Liara was thankful she wasn't being placed in that situation, and turned around to see Shepard sitting on the shower floor, under the stead stream of water coming from the shower-head. "Commander I-" Liara cut herself off when she saw the pool of blood surrounding Shepard's right leg. Without even pausing to think, Liara rushed into the shower to Shepard's side. "Commander! You're bleeding!" Liara shouted frantically while she searched for the source of the bleeding. Finding a long gash along Shepard's right leg, she tore open the pants leg and applied pressure to the wound.

"Why were you afraid of me, Liara," Shepard asked, ignoring what was going on.

Liara was baffled that Shepard was worried about such things while she was bleeding. "Commander, you are bleeding, yet you seem not to care," Liara said. When she received no reply, she figured she'd have to answer Shepard's question before Liara could ask hers. "I was not afraid, Shepard. I will admit what I saw was... disturbing, but I do not believe that to be a reason to fear you. I am sure that you had reasons for doing what you did," Liara stated confidently. She couldn't imagine how Shepard was feeling right now, but she didn't want her to think that she was thought of as a monster.

"I don't even remember what happened. For all I know, I just walked in there and murdered all those civilians in cold blood!" Shepard cried out, sobs escaping her.

Liara was heartbroken at the display in front of her. She wished that Shepard could remember what happened, because Liara refused to believe that she was a cold-blooded murderer. "Commander, I refuse to believe that the person who rescued me on Therum and the kind person that stood up for me is a ruthless murderer, and you should not think so lowly of yourself," Liara stated commandingly, remembering how her mother always managed to pick her up whenever she was wallowing in self-pity.

"Maybe you're right. I just want, no, need to remember what I did. I messed up a mission, I need to learn from my mistakes," Shepard relented.

Liara thought for a moment and an idea popped in her head, but it was an idea that also scared her. "I... may be able to help you remember, Commander. I-If you want, that is," Liara stammered.

"Yeah? How so?" Shepard asked skeptically.

Now extremely nervous, Liara wished she had never brought it up. However, it was too late now and she gathered her courage. "I c-could... meld with you, help you remember what happened," she said, her voice barely audible over the shower. "I must admit that I am very inexperienced at it, I... haven't melded with anyone outside of my mother and the acolytes who raised me," she admitted.

Liara waited while Shepard paused, contemplating what Liara just told her. "If I let you meld, will you be able to see everything in my mind?" Shepard asked, still thinking.

"Yes," Liara replied. "However, to do so is unforgivable amongst my people. I will only see what you show me, Shepard." Liara desperately wanted to know more about the human Commander, but she was not willing to stoop to such levels to satisfy her own curiosity.

"Will it hurt?" Shepard asked her.

Liara couldn't help but let out a giggle at the suggestion that a meld could hurt. "No, Shepard. It will not hurt," she said.

"Do it," Shepard said firmly, looking her straight in the eyes. "What do I have to do?"

Liara shook her head. "Not now, Commander. You are bleeding, we need to get your leg taken care of," she stated, trying to be as commanding as she could. When Shepard nodded in approval, she reached over and turned the water for the shower off, shivering at the loss of heat. Moving back over to Shepard, she bent down to pick Shepard up, only to be met with resistance.

"No going to Chakwas with this, she doesn't need to know," Shepard pleaded.

"But you are bleeding!" Liara retorted. She couldn't understand why Shepard didn't want to go to Doctor Chakwas to get her leg treated. "If one of your injuries opened up again, you need to go back to Chakwas to have her treat it for you."

Liara saw Shepard lower her head and slide the combat knife that was on the floor over to her. "I didn't reopen anything, I did it myself," Shepard shared.

Liara had never seen Shepard so dejected, but then again she hadn't known Shepard for very long. Something deep within Liara stirred, and she lunged forward and embraced Shepard in a vice-like hug. She held her for what seemed like ages before her mind caught up to her body, and she withdrew from the embrace. She was surprised, however, when Shepard caught her arms to keep her from leaving completely.

Shepard's stormy eyes gazed into hers, tears welling around them. "Why did you...?" Shepard asked, trailing off.

Liara couldn't make out the expression completely, but knew that confusion was amongst them. "I was upset that you are so distraught about what happened on Presrop that you would hurt yourself. I'm s-sorry if my actions were inappropriate," Liara said, hanging her head. _Oh Liara, why must you always make a fool of yourself_?

"Go to the cabinet by my bed and grab the gray box inside, and I'll explain," Shepard said gently.

Liara nodded and went to fetch the box, and when she returned Shepard had further ripped open her pants leg, revealing the multitude of scars covering her thighs. Liara dropped the box and covered up her gaping mouth, tears forming in her eyes. "Goddess..."

"Should have figured you'd be shocked, I'm sorry," Shepard apologized to her. "Do you think you could take care of this? It would make it much easier to explain not having to fix myself up," Shepard said, motioning next to her.

Liara nodded and picked up the box, moving to Shepard's side. She opened it up to find a multitude of medical supplies within. As Shepard began to explain, Liara tended to the wound gingerly, though paying very close attention to what Shepard was saying.

"I cut myself as a reminder for mistakes I've made, and people I've lost. It serves as a physical reminder of all my failures, and helps me to never make them again," Shepard said bluntly. "Every scar you see has meaning behind it, and there are more on my other leg too."

Liara felt a tightness in her chest when Shepard admitted that. Liara wondered just how many scars there were, and how rough of a life the Commander had lived. "Couldn't you have done something a little less... painful?" Liara asked.

Shepard shrugged. "I suppose," she said, wincing as Liara poured some disinfectant into the wound. "But this way, I can take my mistakes around with me. Never forget them, and possibly prevent something similar happening at the same time," she explained.

Liara placed a bandage over the now treated wound, and closed up the box. "Shepard, if I may ask, why are you admitting this to me? This does not seem like something the crew knows about," Liara ventured.

Shepard's stormy eyes looked into hers once again, a cloud of emotions gathering in them. "No, they don't. Shall we move into the other room so you can meld?" Shepard asked, changing subjects.

Disappointed that she didn't get her answer, Liara nodded and exited the shower, taking a towel from Shepard as she went. She pulled two chairs together and motioned for Shepard to sit in one, taking the other herself. Sensing Shepard's nervousness, Liara placed a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, Commander. I will be as gentle as I can, and if you become uncomfortable at any time, just tell me so and I will stop immediately," Liara explained.

Shepard took a deep breath and nodded to her. "Okay, what do I do?"

Liara placed both hands on Shepard's shoulders. It wasn't necessary, but she wanted to hold the Commander again like she did in the showers and wanted to provide a more physical reassurance that everything was all right. "Just relax. Clear your mind of all thoughts, all emotions. Focus on the night sky and the aura of the stars. All things in this galaxy are interconnected. Feel the energy flowing between them, between... us. Know that I am here, and I will not judge. Are you ready, Shepard?"

Liara looked to Shepard, and saw her face completely peaceful and relaxed. "Yes," Shepard barely murmured.

Liara felt a bit of tension building up within Shepard, but she firmed her grip on her shoulders. Liara let her eyes turn an opaque onyx, reaching out to Shepard's mind. "_Embrace Eternity!"_

* * *

_Liara found herself in the night sky, amongst the stars. She looked around at the beauty of it, admiring that Shepard was capable of forming such vivid imagery. She had heard that most humans who melded required several melds to create something of this quality. "Shepard?" she called out, trying to find the Commander._

"_I'm here, Liara," Shepard replied._

"_This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, Shepard," Liara remarked in awe. _

"_Not as beautiful as yo- SHIT!" Shepard cursed at the blurting out of her thoughts._

_Liara blushed slightly and smiled at Shepard's thoughts. '_She thinks I'm beautiful.'_ "It is all right, Commander. It takes time to adjust controlling your thoughts while in a meld. Can you take me to the last thing you remember?" Liara asked._

_Shepard nodded, and the scenery changed to that of the interior of the building on Presrop._

_Liara watched as Shepard walked through the compound, wary of the looks the cultists were giving her. "Shepard, are you okay?" Liara asked, making sure she was alright with what was going on._

"_Yeah," Shepard replied. "The cultists followed me throughout the building, I guess as a show of force."_

_Liara nodded and continued through the memory as Shepard traversed through the various winding corridors of the building. Finally, they entered the room containing Major Kyle. Liara felt an overwhelming apprehension from Shepard, but Liara let her feel a wave of encouragement and urging her forward. _

"_The Butcher wants to help people and save them?!" Kyle asked, astonished._

_Liara listened to the conversation play out, feeling her own anger boil up at someone berating and using Shepard's past against her in that fashion. It seemed that the mentioning of a woman named 'Amy' particularly got Shepard upset. "Shepard, who is Amy?" Liara ventured._

"_Nobody," Shepard replied harshly. Liara felt instant regret and remorse coming from Shepard after she said that. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so short. She was someone who meant a lot to me, but it's not something I want to talk about," Shepard explained._

_Liara respected her wishes, and resumed the memory. Finally, she reached the point where Kyle pushed her too far._

"_Tell me, did you even actually care for her, or was she just a cheap fuck you decided to let think you cared for her as you sent her to her death?" Kyle taunted._

_Liara gasped in horror at the cruelty in that statement. _Was Amy Shepard's lover? s_he wondered._

"_Die, Shepard!" Major Kyle yelled as he slammed a button underneath his desk and the lights dimmed._

_Liara watched, helpless, as chaos broke out in the compound. She saw flashes of Shepard blasting away with her shotgun, switching to her pistol when she ran out of ammo instead of reloading. She saw Shepard shred Kyle with several shotgun blasts to the abdomen. She walked over and put another bullet in his head and then reloaded all of her guns, and proceeded to the exit. _

_Shepard braced up against the doorway and primed two grenades off of her belt. Hitting the door release, Shepard threw the two grenades down the hall and into the main area, decimating the civilians inside. She was met almost immediately with several biotic blasts flying towards her position. One of the blasts caught Shepard in the shoulder and she flew back, slamming into a wall with a crack. Moving fast, Shepard rolled into the nearest cover she could and pulled out her assault rifle. Determined, she pulled out one of her concussion grenades and threw it into the middle of the crowd. Timing her attack with the blast from the grenade, Shepard charged into the room and let off a flurry of bullets amongst the stunned crowd, dropping her rifle the second it was empty. _

_Hiding in her cover, Shepard began to pull out her shotgun until she was lifted and thrown across the room by a couple of the cultists, landing awkwardly on her leg. She howled out in pain and dragged herself behind a near by crate. She peaked over the edge of the crate and could make out about five figures still left standing, the slight glow from their biotics giving them away. Pulling out her pistol, she let off a salvo of bullets, killing off three of the remaining enemies. She then ducked back down out of the way of two ward fields heading straight for her head. Cursing, she tried to crouch walk her way to a new cover, but found that she couldn't move far at all as her leg seared in pain. _

_Hearing footsteps, Shepard could tell that the two survivors were converging on her location. Gripping her shotgun tight, she pressed up against the crate as hard as she could in anticipation for the cultists. The second she heard the footsteps cease, she launched herself over the crate with her good leg, blowing away the first cultist with a point blank shotgun blast. She maneuvered the gun towards the last survivor and let off a shot, but not before the biotic threw out a blast at her. Her shot hit and the cultist crumpled to the floor as she was thrown across the room and smacked into the wall, all going black._

_Liara, a little shaken from the experience, guided Shepard back to the night sky, pushing forward feelings of acceptance and reassurance. Gently, Liara started to withdraw from Shepard's mind. She heard a calling out, begging her not to go, which brought a smile to her face. She pushed a wave of friendship to Shepard, and gently separated their minds._

* * *

As the meld ended, Liara's senses came back to her and she felt utterly exhausted. She let her head hang, her hands on Shepard's shoulders now supporting her. Taking a couple of steadying breaths, Liara tried to center herself. "You are not a monster, Shepard," Liara said. She looked up at Shepard's face, and saw it covered in tears. Concerned, Liara ignored her shyness and moved one hand from Shepard's shoulders to wipe away some of the tears. "Are you okay, Commander?"

Shepard nodded to her. "I will be, Liara. Thank you," she said gratefully. "It's a relief to know that they were going to kill me the second I tried to leave. And the meld, I've... never experienced something so intense before," she admitted in awe.

Liara blushed slightly and nodded drowsily. "Yes, it was."

"Are you okay, Liara? You seem exhausted," Shepard asked.

"Melding can be quite the strenuous task. I will be fine after I get some rest," Liara replied.

"Doctor Chakwas should take a look at you," Shepard said with concern.

Liara smiled, but shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Shepard. I assure you I will be fine with some sleep," Liara assured her.

Shepard relented and let go of Liara. "I... uh... wanted to thank you. I've never... had someone accept me that openly and unconditionally before, I can't even describe what it feels like," Shepard told her.

An affectionate smile found its way onto Liara's face. "I cannot judge what I have not gone through, Commander," Liara replied. "From the short time I spent in your mind, I can tell you that you are a wonderful person, perhaps a bit rough around the edges, but wonderful."

It was Shepard's turn to blush now, cheeks turning slightly rosy. "Well again, thank you. I can't tell you what that means to me. I won't keep you any longer, though. We'll talk again when you've gotten some sleep," Shepard said, drying off the remaining tears from her eyes. Shepard stood up with Liara and walked her to the door.

"Thank you for allowing me to help, Commander," Liara said with a smile. With that, she walked back to the med bay with a familiar tightness in her chest. As she entered, she thought to look for Doctor Chakwas to discuss what she was feeling, but thought better of it as her eyes threatened to close and never reopen for another week. Dragging herself to her room, she plumped down onto the cot and drew her light blanket over herself._ Goodnight, Shepard_, Liara thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of space and its stars.


	18. Chapter 12: No Holds Barred

**A/N: **_Big thanks to Rae for her help on this._

* * *

_See to live, is to suffer_

_But to survive, well,_

_That's to find meaning in the suffering_

_-DMX / Freidrich Nietzsche_

_I've been through mad different phases,_

_like mazes, to find my way_

_And now I know that happy days are not far away._

_-DMX_

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Doctor?" Shepard asked, walking in the med bay. Looking over to the bio-beds, she saw Aidan sleeping on one, and quietly made her way over to Doctor Chakwas.

"Yes, thank you for coming. I had some things to go over with you," Chakwas said, pulling up a file on her terminal.

"What's this?" Shepard asked, glancing over the screen.

"This would be Aidan's service record and what history they could find on him. I have to say, what I see is... troubling," she said, casting a quick glance to the sleeping figure on the bed.

Shepard scanned over the document, her brows furrowing. "There's not much here, all extremely classified. Reminds me of my own service record." She looked at one particular section that confused her. "What the hell is the Ghost Program?" she asked.

Chakwas gave a shrug of her shoulders. "I have no clue. From what Admiral Hackett has told me, it was a program designed to create the perfect soldier. He said their training was harsh and sometimes cruel, but it worked. After being discovered by the public, the program was scrapped and eventually evolved into what is now the N7 Program," she said.

"I see you found my service record," Aidan said, sitting up on the bio-bed. "Find anything interesting?"

The two of them turned around to face Aidan, surprised looks on their faces. The both looked nervously at each other, and Chakwas gathered the courage to speak. "We apologize, but given the current state of things we needed to have more information on you, myself included. There was something on your record that intrigued me," she said.

"Ghost," Aidan replied coldly.

"Yes. What was it, exactly? Do you remember?" Chakwas asked, pulling out a datadisk to record the information.

"A military operation to create the perfect soldier," Aidan said. The program wasn't one of his favorite subjects to talk about.

"Admiral Hackett told us as much. Did it work?" Chakwas asked, noting the tenseness in Aidan at the subject.

"No," he replied shortly.

Chakwas frowned. "How long had the program been going on before you joined?"

Aidan let out a small sigh. "I was the first."

A look of surprise came across Shepard and Chakwas' faces. "What exactly happened during the program? How did they attempt to make the perfect soldier?"

Aidan looked her straight in the eyes, a deadness filling his. "Why do you think they called it the 'Ghost' Program, Doctor?"

Chakwas had an uneasy look at her face, not sure she was going to like where the conversation would end up. "I am not quite sure. If I had to guess I would assume it was to make soldiers able to be invisible, leave no trace."

Aidan let out a laugh. "Well, you've got some of it down, but that wasn't why it was called Ghost. The point was to have a soldier who had no worldly attachments," he explained. "Are you familiar with the old saying, 'The most dangerous enemy is that which has nothing to lose'?"

The Doctor's face went grim. "Yes, I am. So they took people with nothing left to lose and tried to mold them into the perfect soldier? Did you have nothing to lose?" she asked, the motherly instincts in her coming out.

Aidan's fists clenched, eyes going cold. "No. They took from me," he said vaguely.

"What did they take from you?" Shepard asked, finally finding her own voice. She was slightly taken aback when Aidan's gaze drifted to her and she saw the sorrow and pain within it.

"Everything," he replied. "My friends and my unit. My family, at least those I cared for, and my... fiancé," he said, hanging his head. "They tried to make me an empty shell. They failed."

"What happened to them? How were they taken from you?" Shepard asked, trying to get a sense for the kind of person Aidan was while he was still in a talkative mood.

"What do you think?" Aidan asked, pain filling his voice. "I was in the program before I even knew of it. They killed everyone I cared for and tricked me into joining after the fact." The emotions began to swirl within Aidan, his self control slowly being eroded talking about such a hurtful topic.

Chakwas stood with her hand covering her gaping mouth, and Shepard stood solemnly beside her. Taking a moment to gather herself, Chakwas grabbed her medical chart with Aidan's examination results on it to change the subject. "I had some questions about some of the scarring throughout your body, if you don't mind?"

Aidan didn't respond, and walked over to the lab station next to the bio-beds. He began rummaging through the various chemicals and mixed a few of them together.

Alerted, Chakwas moved over to the station to attempt to find out what was going on. "What are you doing, Aidan?" she asked, trying to put her face in front of his to force a reaction.

Aidan simply ignored the Doctor and kept on mixing, grabbing a syringe and filling it with a small amount of the chemical solution he had just made. He made his way past Chakwas, moving to one of the bio-beds and took up residence on the end of it. When Chakwas and Shepard stood in front of him again, he held up the syringe. "Do you know what this is, Doctor?" When Chakwas shook her head no, Aidan continued. "This little genious invention here is nicknamed 'White Fire.' Amazing little concoction.

Chakwas' eyes widened in horror, realizing what the syringe in front of her held. "Please... please dear tell me that they didn't use that on you," she pleaded, not wanting him to confirm it.

"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner," he replied, eyeing the familiar substance.

Shepard looked confused. "Uhhh, for those of us not aquainted with what 'White Fire' is, could you please enlighten us?"

Chakwas was the one to speak. "It is a horrible mixture, completely banned on Earth, and later banned throughout the galaxy," Chakwas said, shuddering. "It is designed specifically for torture. It makes the recipient feel like their body is on fire, often leaving white trails at the injection point. It will not kill or severely damage internal organs, but will scar them and causes a great deal of pain." Gesturing to the syringe, she continued. "That small amount there, would be considered extremely cruel and used only in dire situations." Turning to Aidan, she had a sad look on her face. "They used that much on you?" she asked.

Aidan threw his head back and laughed. "This? This was breakfast," he said, plunging the needle down into his arm and injecting the chemical.

Chakwas screamed and lunged for the syringe, but she was too late. She looked for signs of pain in Aidan's face, but saw none. She rushed over to her and grabbed out a flushing agent, moving to inject it into Aidan. "What are you thinking?! Why would you subject yourself to such pain?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"You wanted to know about the scarring on my body, I just showed you an example," he said indifferently. "I can demonstrate other things that were done to earn the other scars, if you like," he offered.

Chakwas nearly gave herself a concussion shaking her head no fiercely. "No! I'm curious, though. You showed little hint of pain from it."

"The body is amazing in it's ability to be trained," he replied, hearing an approving grunt from Shepard.

"_Message from the Council, Commander. There's been some disturbances at a colony on Feros, possibly involving Saren. They want us to go investigate immediately," _Joker's voice piped in.

"Understood," Shepard said. She patted Aidan on the shoulder. "Come with me, I need to test your combat skills if I'm going to take you on missions with me," she said.

* * *

The whole crew as gathered in the cargo bay, anticipating the sparring match between Aidan and Shepard. They had heard that Aidan was some kind of special ops soldier, and were curious how they would match up. Many of the crew were already throwing around credits, placing their bets on who they thought would win. The main perpetrator and ringleader of the event was Wrex. "Who you got, Williams?" he shouted over to Ashley.

"Put me down for Aidan," she said, earning an elbow to the rib from Kaidan. "Ow! Hey! I can't help it that he's hot!"

Kaidan laughed at Ashley's reasoning. "He's hot... so he's going to beat Shepard? If that were true, every good looking guy is a huge threat to her," he said, chuckling.

"Then I might have a chance after all," Garrus joked. "Put me down for Shepard as well. I've seen what she can do, he doesn't stand a chance."

"Keelah, you're all so childish. Is this normal?" Tali asked.

"Alright pup, your loss," Wrex said, taunting the quarian.

"What? Put me down for Shepard. She's going to wipe the floor with him!" Tali exclaimed, jumping up in the process.

The group then turned to Liara, who was doing her best to stay out of the way, hoping she would be forgotten. "What about you, Liara? Who are you betting for?"

"I do not understand the need to bet on who will be more physically injured in a fight, but I have seen Shepard fight. She appears to be able to fight just about anyone and come out on top," She said, trying to hide how much she loved watching Shepard fight. She was more concerned that Shepard was going to end up hurting herself, a sight which she didn't want to see.

"All right, blue is down for Shepard," Wrex laughed, pooling up all the credits. The crowd turned their attention to the sparring mat as Shepard and Aidan stepped on it. "Pipe down, out of the way! Krogan coming through!" Wrex yelled, pushing his way to the front. He loved a good fight.

"Here's the rules: No holds barred. First to tap out or down by ten counts loses. Any questions?" Shepard said.

"All clear," Aidan replied, almost sounding disinterested. The two backed away from each other and they took their places, Shepard getting into her stance and Aidan standing normally.

"Fight!" Wrex yelled, signaling the beginning of the bout, the crew already starting to yell and scream.

Shepard was the first to move, slowly circling Aidan while also closing the distance between them bit by bit. Aidan mirrored her movements, but never raised his fists to a ready position. Shepard decided to take advantage of that and threw a quick jab at Aidan, which he casually side-stepped and continued circling her. Shepard bounced on her feet, then lunged again at Aidan, who pushed her aside.

Shepard was growing frustrated from Aidan's lack of participation in the spar. Deciding she already had enough of him dancing around her, she tried a different tactic. "What's wrong? Afraid to hit a girl?" she taunted, throwing a jab that connected with Aidan's shoulder, earning some hollers from the crowd.

"Not in the slightest," Aidan replied, finally raising his fists to Shepard.

The two once again resumed encircling each other, watching every movement from their opponent. Aidan decided to take the lead, throwing a half-hearted punch, kick, jab combo that nearly hit Shepard in the chest. Seeing another opening, Shepard threw a right hook and connected with Aidan's chest, making him step back a few paces. Shepard's brows furrowed at Aidan's obvious lack of effort. Boos were heard from the crowd, namely Ashley.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Ashley screamed, not believing what a whimp the guy she bet on was. _He's dodging Shepard's blows for the most part, but it just seems like he's not trying._

Aidan ignored her and threw a punch at Shepard, connecting with her shoulder. She shrugged it off and countered with a shot to the ribs, that caused Aidan to back off a bit. Angered that Aidan was refusing to actually fight her, Shepard tried one more time to coax a response from him. She threw a feint punch towards his head, and then dropped down to a swinging kick. Aidan was quick enough to avoid it, but didn't see Shepard bringing a hard right hook to his chin and connected, sending Aidan staggering back. "Why are you holding back? Scared a girl is going to beat you straight up?" she taunted, hoping to rile Aidan up.

Aidan's eyes went cold, his mind returning to times he had spent with Alexandria. _"What's wrong, Aidan? Can't beat this poor helpless girl?" _Sparring like this brought back several bad memories, faint hints of the agonizing pain he went through coming through the cracks of his resolve. Aidan drew a deep breath to center himself. Reclaiming the hold over his emotions, he took up his stance again.

Aidan waited for Shepard to charge. He shifted slightly to the left to avoid her punch, and landed a strong jab to her ribs that brought the crowd back to life. Shepard then turned around and threw a roundhouse kick, which Aidan caught and threw her to the ground, following with a haymaker to her jaw. "I hold back because I show nothing, and learn my enemy," Aidan said, letting Shepard get up.

Shepard shrugged off the punch and readied herself, a smile coming to her face. _Now this is going to be a fight,_ she thought. Before she could make her move, Aidan was on the attack. She could barely keep up with the swiftness of the attacks. Everytime that she had an opening she took it, landing her fair share of hits. Eventually, she adapted her style to match that of his, and the spar came to a stalemate. Beads of sweat were dripping off both of their bodies as they went at each other. It quickly became apparent to everyone in the room that Shepard and Aidan were equals. Finally, it was Joker who brought the bout to an end.

"_Commander, much as I would love to see who wins, we've arrived at Feros,"_ Joker piped in over the comms, earning a collective groan from all the crew members who bet on the fight.

Shepard turned to Aidan with a smile, extending her hand out. "Guess we'll have to finish this another time," she said.

Aidan nodded in return, shaking her hand. "I guess so," he replied. _She reminds me of Alex_. "You're a hell of a fighter."

"Go see Chief Williams over there, Randal. She'll get you suited up and ready to go, as well as give you a bit of training on how to use weapons from our time," Shepard said, moving over to the rest of the crew. "All right, get your credits and get back to your posts," she said, giving Wrex an amused grin. "T'Soni, Tali, Williams, suit up. You're joining me and Randal on the ground. Rest of you will be guarding the Normandy and the colony in case Saren tries anything funny," she ordered, then moved to hop in the elevator with some of the crew.

* * *

After Shepard left, Aidan made his way over to Chief Williams to get suited up. "I hear you have some gear for me," Aidan said to the Chief.

Ashley spun around in surprise, and nodded. _He's hotter up close!_ "Sure, the Normandy has a pretty decent armory. First off: armor. Do you want heavy, medium, or light?" she asked.

Aidan pondered for a moment, weighing the positives and negatives. He immediately ruled out the heavy armor, it would restrict his movement too much. Figuring light armor would be too little when he would get in the thick of the fight, he had his answer. "I'll take the medium."

Ashley nodded and grabbed him a suit of armor. "I'll need to fit the suit on you," Ashley said, motioning to a bench nearby.

Aidan nodded and walked over to the bench, taking his shirt off in the process.

Ashley's eyes widened at how muscular he is. _He's so ripped! And all those scars... Dad would have liked him_, Ashley privately thought, trying not to have her face betray her thoughts. "Why are you taking your shirt off?" she asked as casually as she could.

"Seems like it would be more comfortable," Aidan shrugged. He had no idea what he was doing, so he was trying to make it up as he went along.

"Whatever you say," she said, laughing. While she worked to put the armor on, she decided to try and get to know Aidan better. "So, what's it like being woken up in a completely different time period?" she asked. _Shit, I don't even know how old this guy is. He's probably older than my great-grandpa._

"It feels like I'm alive," Aidan replied. While that was true, Aidan did feel overwhelmed at the whole situation. Not usually one to show what was going on inside, Aidan kept up a strong front.

Ashley smiled. "Well that's an interesting take on things. Say, when were you born, anyways?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"March 2nd, 1987," he replied.

Ashley did the math in her head, and nearly fell flat on her ass. "You're almost _two hundred_ years old now!" she blurted out. _Definitely older than grandpa._

Aidan shrugged. "I was twenty-six when I was frozen. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still that age. I guess technically, yes, I am almost two-hundred," he said indifferently, checking over the armor that Ashley just fitted for him. "This is really nice. You do good work Ashley," he told her, giving a faint smile.

Ashley smiled, then slapped her head. "Damnit, I completely forgot! There was some container that came with you when you were transferred to the Normandy. Let me go get it," she said, hurrying off to one of the corners of the cargo bay. She returned a few moments later dragging a long container behind her. Placing it down in front of Aidan, she plopped down beside him. "Go on, open it. See what's inside," Ashley encouraged.

Repositioning the box, Aidan undid the latches and opened the box. After seeing what was inside, he froze for a moment. Seeing Ashley's curious face, he shook it off and reached in, pulling out two katana's. Unsheathing one, he was disappointed to see it had rusted over slightly.

Ashley's eyes widened at seeing an actual sword that wasn't in a museum. "Wow, that is so cool! Are those yours?"

Aidan nodded. "Yeah. They're rusted over now, though, so they're nothing more than wall mounts," he said, disappointed.

Ashley laughed. "I sometimes forget how much you don't know about our era. Next time we're on the Citadel, I'll take you to a place that can get those cleaned up and strengthened for you," she offered, a warm smile on her face.

"Thank you, I would like that," Aidan replied. He placed the katanas down beside him and reached in for the other item in the container. When he pulled it out, he heard a gasp from Ashley.

"Oh. My. God. Please tell me that is not what I think it is," Ashley said in awe.

Aidan wore a confused look on his face. "It's just a standard issue Barrett .50 cal sniper that I modified. It's a little rusty, too, but looks like its in better shape than my katanas," he said, not understanding why Ashley was so enamored by it. He did enjoy the woman's enthusiasm for weaponry, though.

"You don't understand! These aren't around anymore! Hell, there aren't any guns that shoot old school bullets anymore, they don't even _make_ old bullets!" Ashley was now completely in love with the gun in front of her, and felt her own attraction to the man next to her grow as well.

"Well, I guess this thing is useless now," Aidan said, tossing it back into the container.

Ashley let out a cry of horror and immediately grabbed the rifle out of the container and held onto it for dear life. "Why would you throw this away?!" Ashley yelled in disbelief. "I'm good at modifying weapons, I'm pretty sure I could convert this to use thermal clips so you could still use it."

Aidan stared at her, then simply shrugged. "If you can do it, go ahead. I'll need something to use in the meantime."

Ashley nodded and went to her locker to place Aidan's Barret into her locker. Making her way over to the armory, she looked back to Aidan. "What type of weapons do you want?" she asked.

Aidan joined her by the armory and thought it over. "Hmm, I'll take a sniper, pistol, and assault rifle."

Ashley grabbed a Mantis, a Predator, and an Avenger from the armory and walked over to her work bench. "What kinds of mods do you want on them? Armor-piercing rounds? Extra clip capacity?"

Aidan was surprised at the extent of technology before him. "I'll take armor-piercing and something to stabalize the weapon for the sniper. I'll take extra ammo on the pistol, higher-calibur ammo if possible, and a silencer. Just put increased fire rate and something to increase the accuracy for the assault rifle." Aidan was a bit overwhelmed, just throwing possibilities out there that he had no idea if they would be able to be done.

Ashley went to work as he spoke, installing the mods. Just as Aidan was turning around to walk off, Ashley caught him by the arm and handed him the weapons. She laughed when a surprised look came to his face. "Like I said, I'm good with weapons," she said, giving him an amused grin.

"I guess you are. Thanks Chief," Aidan said, examining his new weapons. He was impressed at the speed and expertise the Chief showed.

"You know how to handle one of those?" she asked, wondering if she would be able to train him on how to use the new guns.

"Point and shoot," he replied, checking out the scope on his sniper rifle. In all honesty, he was struggling with all the information and new environments around it. He didn't understand the half of it, deciding just to fake his way through and hope he would pick it up eventually. He couldn't even comprehend how guns could fire without bullets, what these 'thermal clips' were, or how they managed to make the weapons fold and unfold with a simple touch.

Ashley couldn't help but bust out laughing at the seriousness of his reply. She normally didn't check out guys in the military, but he was proving to be an exception. Then it dawned on her, he isn't even military. "Are you going to join the Alliance? Right now, you'd be considered a civlian," she asked.

"I'll give it some thought. The military and I have a... rocky relationship, to say the least," Aidan said vaguely. He felt it weird that he was now out of the military, technically. "Perhaps you could teach me some of the basics when we have more time. For now, I think I'll just follow Shepard's lead."

Ashley barely was able to contain her excitement. "Excellent! It seems you're smart, too. Following Shepard is a wise move, she's one of the best soldiers the Alliance has."

"_All crew, five minutes out. Meet Shepard at airlock in two_," Joker's voice resounded through the cargo bay.

"I guess that's us," Ashley said, grabbing her own gear and heading to the elevator with Aidan. "Should be fun, right?" Ashley said, trying to get a smile out of Aidan.

"We'll see," he replied, silently preparing himself for what was to come. _I just hope that this new tech doesn't get me killed._


End file.
